a question about pregnancy costs/insurance

[Lady_Ashka]

Hi everyone! My partner and I are thinking of having a baby. I am currently a temporary resident, he is a Canadian citizen (we will hit common law in september 2015). We will be applying for PR for me sometime in April 2016, but I was wondering if there is a way to get me somehow signed up into his medical care, so that we don't have to pay the high costs of pregnancy care that are to be paid by non-PRs. One cannot plan it perfectly, but I was hoping to get pregnant sometime before we apply (he is 15 years older than me, so we don't want to wait too long, we have no intention to do it to somehow influence the application, but it just seems a good time), and then of course depending on the application consideration process I might give birth before or after the application is (hopefully) accepted. I was just wondering if this is at all doable (is there a way he can somehow sign me up onto his medical package?), or is it better to wait until I get my PR?

 

[Majromax]

Hi everyone! My partner and I are thinking of having a baby. I am currently a temporary resident, he is a Canadian citizen. We will be applying for PR for me sometime in April 2016, but I was wondering if there is a way to get me somehow signed up into his medical care,

This is usually not possible. You cannot sign up "onto his medical care," as each Canadian province treats its health insurance as a strictly individual matter. Qualification requirements vary between provinces, but in general permament residents qualify; in many cases those on long-duration work permits also qualify. If your temporary status is that of a full-time worker, you may be able to apply in your own right. Simple "visitor" status, however, is as far as I am aware insufficient in every province.

You may be able to find some luck with a private insurer, as many companies offer medicare-equivalent insurance for temporary residents. You will of course have to pay the relevant fees out-of-pocket.

Your situation is also somewhat unclear. If you are living in Canada now and are thinking of having a baby, then why wait until April of next year to apply? If you do not yet have a year's cohabitation then it may be premature to think of having children in a not-well-established relationship; if you do (or are close to that) then you could apply as common-law partners with all deliberate speed. Similar arguments would apply for a legal spousal relationship.

 

[screech339]

You best start looking and buying private insurance before getting pregnant. Most insurance companies will not cover pregnancy cost within 9 months of buying insurance. You need to start buying insurance and keeping it until you get pregnant and have a child. But the pregnancy must be an "accident". If insurance companies sees that you were planning on getting pregnant, such as getting fertility pills and seeing OBGYN, they can deny your pregnant cost as it was "planned" not by "accident".

You can't qualify for provincial health coverage as a temporary visitor.

 

[Rob_TO]

I think you're in Ontario, which means under OHIP there is zero chance to be added under his policy. You'll need to qualify on your own for OHIP which usually doesn't happen until you actually get your PR status, or with an inland app around 4+ months into the process AND after you have a full time job offer.

However in Ontario the services of a midwife are free, even to those with no OHIP coverage. So if you do get pregnant you should then immediately try to retain the services of a midwife. In this case the only costs to you will be for basic bloodwork and ultrasounds. If you deliver at home with no complications it will be free, and if you deliver at hospital with your midwife with no complications the costs will be minimal. It's just if any complications arise that require a doctor's involvement (i.e. if you need a c-section), then the costs can skyrocket and you'll have to pay out of pocket for everything if no OHIP.

Or as mentioned, look NOW for a medical policy that covers pregnancy. Usually you have to enroll in these plans months before you actually get pregnant... and make sure to read what it actually covers during the pregnancy and delivery.

 

[Lady_Ashka]

Ok, thanks. We live in Ontario, btw.

As for this "Your situation is also somewhat unclear. If you are living in Canada now and are thinking of having a baby, then why wait until April of next year to apply? If you do not yet have a year's cohabitation then it may be premature to think of having children in a not-well-established relationship; if you do (or are close to that) then you could apply as common-law partners with all deliberate speed. Similar arguments would apply for a legal spousal relationship." I guess I should've explained more. We have been together for 2 years now, known each other for over 4, and are both cenrtain of each other, so there is no doubts here but I've only moved to Canada last year, in september, as a temporary worker, so we could theoretically apply in september 2015, but because I had to take a trip to my home country for 3 weeks we are afraid that might have broken the cohabitation, so we decided to wait with the application until a year passes after I came back from those three weeks, which is the end of April. We definitely want to have a baby, and we would prefer not to wait until the PR application is processed, as this will take another two years, so I am trying to figure out if there is a way to do it.

would anyone have any experience in the matter, when the father is Canadian and we both live in Canada, but I am a temporary resident (worker, although the situation is complicated because I am employed by one institution, but paid from another, from my own country). could anyone give me an idea of how much the pregnancy and birth would cost if I cannot apply for health insurance?

thanks for the other two posts, I will look into a private company then (would anyone have any suggestions?) And how do I get a midwife? and if I do get private insurance, is it really the case that I'd have to pretend I don;t want to get pregnant?

and finally, if we get pregnant when the application is already submitted (we both live here, but will be applying outland), is there anything else we should do, apart from just informing CIC that I'm pregnant?

 

[screech339]

Ok, thanks. We live in Ontario, btw.

As for this "Your situation is also somewhat unclear. If you are living in Canada now and are thinking of having a baby, then why wait until April of next year to apply? If you do not yet have a year's cohabitation then it may be premature to think of having children in a not-well-established relationship; if you do (or are close to that) then you could apply as common-law partners with all deliberate speed. Similar arguments would apply for a legal spousal relationship." I guess I should've explained more. We have been together for 2 years now, known each other for over 4, and are both cenrtain of each other, so there is no doubts here but I've only moved to Canada last year, in september, as a temporary worker, so we could theoretically apply in september 2015, but because I had to take a trip to my home country for 3 weeks we are afraid that might have broken the cohabitation, so we decided to wait with the application until a year passes after I came back from those three weeks, which is the end of April. We definitely want to have a baby, and we would prefer not to wait until the PR application is processed, as this will take another two years, so I am trying to figure out if there is a way to do it.

would anyone have any experience in the matter, when the father is Canadian and we both live in Canada, but I am a temporary resident (worker, although the situation is complicated because I am employed by one institution, but paid from another, from my own country). could anyone give me an idea of how much the pregnancy and birth would cost if I cannot apply for health insurance?

thanks for the other two posts, I will look into a private company then (would anyone have any suggestions?) And how do I get a midwife? and if I do get private insurance, is it really the case that I'd have to pretend I don;t want to get pregnant?

and finally, if we get pregnant when the application is already submitted (we both live here, but will be applying outland), is there anything else we should do, apart from just informing CIC that I'm pregnant?

Insurance companies is well known to look for any excuse not to pay your pregnancy cost. If they find out that your pregnancy was planned, then they can use this excuse to deny your medical cost. After all medical insurance is suppose to cover "unforeseen circumstances" or "accidents", not PLANNED events.

 

[bigredmoose]

I'm not sure about minimal costs... I work in the finance department at a hospital in Ontario. We would bill someone in the OP's situation $2,700 per day. This would not include any doctor's fees or certain scans. Furthermore any prenatal visits or clincs would run $600 each.

Yes, you could avoid doctor's fees by using a midwife, but any complications requiring, say, an emergency C-section and you could easily hit $30,000+

 

[bigredmoose]

would anyone have any experience in the matter, when the father is Canadian and we both live in Canada, but I am a temporary resident (worker, although the situation is complicated because I am employed by one institution, but paid from another, from my own country). could anyone give me an idea of how much the pregnancy and birth would cost if I cannot apply for health insurance?

Yes - feel free to PM me with any questions beyond what I've already posted

 

[Majromax]

I guess I should've explained more. We have been together for 2 years now, known each other for over 4, and are both cenrtain of each other, so there is no doubts here but I've only moved to Canada last year, in september, as a temporary worker, so we could theoretically apply in september 2015, but because I had to take a trip to my home country for 3 weeks we are afraid that might have broken the cohabitation, so we decided to wait with the application until a year passes after I came back from those three weeks, which is the end of April. We definitely want to have a baby, and we would prefer not to wait until the PR application is processed, as this will take another two years, so I am trying to figure out if there is a way to do it.

Ah, yes, I see. That makes some sense, but I'll point out that if all you are looking for is the proper legal status then a low-key civil marriage is an option if your families and friends would not object.

However, please check that you do not actually qualify for OHIP. As a worker, you are eligible if:

[quote author=OHIP]
you are a foreign worker who holds a valid work permit or other document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) permitting you to work in Canada, and you also have a formal agreement in place to work full-time for an employer situated in Ontario which sets out the employer's name, your occupation, and confirmation that you will be working for no less than six consecutive months; [/quote]

You may also wish to consider the timing of your application with respect to the immigration medical, as well. As I understand it, the usual advice is for pregnant women to postpone the immigration medical until after the pregnancy, to avoid in utero radiation exposure with the chest X-ray.

 

[Rob_TO]

would anyone have any experience in the matter, when the father is Canadian and we both live in Canada, but I am a temporary resident (worker, although the situation is complicated because I am employed by one institution, but paid from another, from my own country). could anyone give me an idea of how much the pregnancy and birth would cost if I cannot apply for health insurance?

The father being Canadian is irrelevant, as you would need to qualify for OHIP under your own merits. Doesn't your status as temp worker give you OHIP eligibility? http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/publications/ohip/ohip_eligibility.aspx
you are a foreign worker who holds a valid work permit or other document issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) permitting you to work in Canada, and you also have a formal agreement in place to work full-time for an employer situated in Ontario which sets out the employer's name, your occupation, and confirmation that you will be working for no less than six consecutive months;

thanks for the other two posts, I will look into a private company then (would anyone have any suggestions?)

You would need a plan that specifically covers pregnancy. Not all do. I would post this specific question also to the Health forum here as you may get some more detailed answers: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/health-b40.0/

And how do I get a midwife?

The second you find out you're pregnant, you call your nearest midwife office and ask. In a city like Toronto there are many midwife offices to choose from. However they are mostly all in very high demand, so if you don't call as soon as you get pregnant, you could find yourself on a waiting list and not able to get one. http://www.ontariomidwives.ca/

My wife and I used a midwife, and so did many of our friends... even though we all have OHIP. Experience was great with all. Several friends did a home-birth and nobody had any complications. As long as everything goes relatively smooth, using a midwife will save you a bundle if you don't have OHIP.

 

[bigredmoose]

The father being Canadian is irrelevant

As a direct response to the OP's questions, I agree, it is irrelevant. However it makes a big difference to the baby's coverage! If the father weren't an OHIP-covered Canadian, then this baby would not be eligible for OHIP coverage and my hospital, for example, would be adding $860 per day to the bill.

 

[Rob_TO]

As a direct response to the OP's questions, I agree, it is irrelevant. However it makes a big difference to the baby's coverage! If the father weren't an OHIP-covered Canadian, then this baby would not be eligible for OHIP coverage and my hospital, for example, would be adding $860 per day to the bill.

Actually a child is covered under OHIP as long as the parents have suitable status in Canada to meet the residency requirement. Even if the mom and dad both don't have OHIP, the Canadian child can still qualify for it and have all their expenses covered.

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/publications/ohip/eligibility_2.aspx
OHIP Eligibility of Canadian-Born Children of OHIP-ineligible Parents

Even if you are not eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), but you live in Ontario, your newborn or child may be eligible if they were born in Canada and are Canadian citizens. For Ontario born children to be eligible for OHIP, the parent(s) must show that they make Ontario their primary place of residence.

 

[bigredmoose]

the parent(s) must show that they make Ontario their primary place of residence.

That's the sticky part. If neither parent has OHIP coverage and the only thing they have to show for immigration status is a document that has a "must leave by" date, then wherever they're staying is their temporary, not primary, address. The clerks on the maternity ward decide if a newborn gets coverage (I was very surprised to find that out!) but this is the direction they have based on conversations with the ministry.

You might find a not-on-the-ball hospital that just gives the newborn coverage, but I wouldn't bank on it. Especially in large urban hospitals with lots of immigrants.

 

[Rob_TO]

That's the sticky part. If neither parent has OHIP coverage and the only thing they have to show for immigration status is a document that has a "must leave by" date, then wherever they're staying is their temporary, not primary, address. The clerks on the maternity ward decide if a newborn gets coverage (I was very surprised to find that out!) but this is the direction they have based on conversations with the ministry.

You might find a not-on-the-ball hospital that just gives the newborn coverage, but I wouldn't bank on it. Especially in large urban hospitals with lots of immigrants.

The page goes on to state:
You will be asked to confirm that the child:
-has a primary place of residence in Ontario, and
-will be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days in any twelve-month period to retain health insurance coverage.

I always assumed this means if mom/dad's work or study permit in Canada was at least valid to a date 153 or more days later, then the baby would be covered. After all unless you are PR or Citizen, the only thing any temporary resident will ever have is a document with a "must leave by" date.

I'm not surprised though if some hospitals do things their own way and make the discretionary call to allow child to bill OHIP directly or not, as often one hand of the Ontario govt doesn't know what the other is doing. A parents can then involve the OERC (OHIP Eligibility Review Committee) if they disagree and want to take it to a higher level. Anyways all is a moot point as dad here is a Canadian citizen with healthcare!

 

[bigredmoose]

Anyways all is a moot point as dad here is a Canadian citizen with healthcare!

Yeah, but there's nothing like a quality threadjack to get you through the Tuesday afternoon blahs! With apologies to the OP.