Buying private insurance in Quebec

[anis_huq]

Hi,
We have recently received our permanent resident visas and we will be moving to Canada in November.
We are going to land in Toronto, do our immigration and then move to Montreal, as both of us, husband and
wife plan to start our studies at Concordia University.

As far as I know, we are NOT going to be covered by the public health system for 3 months. Therefore,
we need to buy private insurance. I have preexisting blood pressure (4/5 months), which I keep in check with medication (I am 37 now). My wife (she is 29) has low blood pressure with some hormone issues which are kept in check through medication. I have an infant (16 months old) with NO preexisting conditions, but you never know with infants. NO ONE has to visit a specialist regularly.

So, my first question is: we would like to bring 90 days worth of medication with us. Is that possible?
My second question: given our situation (i..e. doing our immigration in Toronto and then moving to Montreal) which private insurance company would provide the best rates (with preexisting conditions)?
My third question: most private health insurance companies provide "travel insurance". As new
immigrants, do we fall into that category?

Hope to hear from you soon guys.

Bye.

 

[Steevy]

There are quite a few private insurance options for people in a similar situation to yours on the market. As New Immigrants that type of coverage available to you is Visitors to Canada insurance (generic name for medical emergency insurance for tourists, newcomers and even returning Canadian residents who are not covered by any government insurance plan in Canada at the moment).

As for your first question, you might be able to bring your 90-day supply of prescription medications in Canada (unless there are some customs restrictions on a type of the medications you are taking).

Coverage for people with certain pre-existing medical conditions i.e. hyper/hypo tension is also available, provided that such conditions have been stable/controlled with medications for a certain time-period prior to the start date of your insurance coverage (it usually ranges from 90 days to 180 days depending on the provider of your choice). So, in case there is a an unexpected sickness and/or injury related to pre-existing condition that you have, your treatment costs will be taken care of by the insurer.

However, Canadian insurers will not cover the costs for prescription medications that you are currently taking.

Most Canadian insurance policies for new immigrants are nation-wide and rates do not change depending on the province of your primary residence. Prices are calculated based on your age, pre-existing medical conditions, duration of your insurance, coverage amount and deductible. Family packages (3+ people) tend to be less expensive compared to single-person policies.

You can calculate a personal quote and view available options from the most major Canadian insurers here - Medical Insurance for New Immigrants