Canada medical care costs and insurance for new immigrants
Canada, 4th February: Canada has been witnessing increasing rise in the costs of health and medical care in the recent years.
The health-care system in Canada is in need of reforms to not just make the healthcare and medical care in Canada more affordable but also for bringing significant improvements in terms of quality.
This is especially important keeping in the view the fact that healthcare eats up around 50 percent of the Ontario’s program spending and it might go even higher to 80 percent by the year 2030 if no steps are taken to control rising costs of healthcare in Canada.
Several Canadian provinces are waking up to the need for reforms and are taking steps to control healthcare costs. Ontario took the initiative by announcing reduction of around 50 percent in the prices of the generic drugs along with wiping away of incentive fees to manufacturers of generic drugs.
It was followed by B.C. (British Columbia) and Quebec in introducing measures for controlling high costs of medical and healthcare in Canada. While B.C. announced introduction of fee-for-procedure payments to hospitals, Quebec proposed for payments on every single medical visit.
Private funding for knee surgery, cataract and hip surgery is on the agenda of a couple of Canadian provinces.
What steps are needed—?
• Nurses and doctors in Canada should take their responsibilities for giving suggestions with regard to bringing improvisations in quality and efficiency in the healthcare in Canada.
• Universities and research organizations must play their role in bringing everyone closer by involving the media for getting consultations from the public.
• Drug manufacturers must suggest cost saving techniques. • Academics should chalk out proposal for promoting good health in the nation.
Health coverage for newcomers in Canada---—
• If you are a potential immigrant wanting to move to any of the Canadian provinces including British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, make sure to buy short-term healthcare insurance from any private company before you arrive here. The reason is that you will not be eligible for health plan incentives till you have stayed for a minimum of three months after moving here. In case, you don’t do so, at least ensure to get health insurance within 5 days after arriving in Canada.
• After your arrival in Canada. Apply soon for a health card in the concerned Canadian province to get free health coverage in Canada by showing three identity proofs of your immigration status in Canada.
