Free Medcare for landed PR immigrants-FSW

[jojobaba]

Hi ! Every one !

Pls share ur experience/info regarding the medcare/medical facilities for newly landed PR immigrants-FSW :
1- is free medcare available from the 1st day or one has to wait for a certain period to be eligible for medcare ? Say the waiting time is 3 months after that newly landed immigrants become eigible for it .

2- which cities/provinces/territories provide free medcare from the very 1st day for landed PR immigrants ?

3- What do the free medcare cover e.g, routine medical check-up,medicines,hospitalization,surgery,pregnancy case etc. All of them or a combination of them ?
4- If main applicant's spouse is pregnant,does she get free medcare/hospitalization from 1st day of landing or otherwise ?
5- What are other options available for medcare during waiting periods,while one is not entitled for free medcare .
6- what is the normal waiting time/ que time in hospitals and clinics for free medcare ?

Pls share ur experience
Thnx

 

[toby]

There may be a certain reluctance to answer this question the way you have framed it. Every time you say "free medicare", you are really saying "I get the medical care, and you taxpayers pay the cost".

The short answer is that the waiting period to be covered varies from province to province. In a few provinces, coverage is immediate, but in most the waiting period is 3 months or even 6 months. And it is not exactly "free": you must pay premiums. But it is one of the best bargains in the world, compared to the cost of private health-care insurance.

 

[Leon]

1. Depends on the province.

2. According to http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_health_news_details.asp?channel_id=131&news_channel_id=131&news_id=30198 it is now only British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec who require a 3 month waiting time for new immigrants. I believe Manitoba and Quebec both make exceptions for pregnant women though and will cover pregnancy related care and childbirth even during the waiting time.

3. A combination of things. Routine medical care, hospitalization, necessary surgery etc. is covered but if you need a medical because of immigration, drivers license, insurance or other such purposes, you will pay. Routine tests are covered but there may be tests that you want done that are not routine and then you might have to pay. Necessary surgeries are covered but if you want surgery that isn't considered necessary, you may have to pay. Ambulances are not covered and medication is not covered but the prices are regulated so the pharmacies can not charge whatever they want. Dental care is not covered and eye glasses are not covered. However, most people have supplementary insurance through their work, might take 3 months or longer to become valid after you start paying, and this insurance may cover things like medication, dental work, eye glasses and other things.

4. See 2.

5. Buy travel insurance to cover you for emergencies or accidents during the 3 months or buy another insurance with more coverage if you want or you can just pay if you need care.

6. In many places in Canada, it can be hard to find a GP. The GP's I have had in Alberta, all of them I could see within a week. If you don't have a GP or you have an emergency, you can always go to a walk-in clinic and if it is not busy, you can be seen right away. If it is busy, you may have to wait a few hours to be seen. You can look up walk-in clinics in your area and before you go, you phone each one to ask how busy it is at that moment before you pick which one to go to. If you go to a hospital emergency room, you may have a long wait ahead of you unless they are very slow or you have a life threatening problem. If you need a non-life saving surgery, the waiting list can be long. Canadian health care works on a referral system so if you want to see a specialist, generally you have to see a regular doctor first and get a referral to see a specialist. The waiting list to see a specialist can also be long, sometimes several months but it depends on what it is and what kind of specialist you need. The referral is good for as long as you are dealing with the same health problem but if a long time passes or you have a different problem, you will need a new referral.

As you keep mentioning "free", I thought you should know that if you live in BC, you will pay monthly rates $57 for one person, $102 for a family of two and $114 for a family of three or more and in Ontario, it is based on your income, you can see the amount you would pay here: http://www.rev.gov.on.ca/en/tax/healthpremium/rates.html

Apart from that, the health care is also paid from your taxes. Some provinces will charge you sales tax and some don't. Payroll taxes also vary between provinces.

 

[Hopeful Canadian]

Dear All
I have a new list of the Canadian Provinces that offer medical services to the newly landed Immigrants from DAY 1
( Current as of 1st March, 2010 )
That enumerates as:
1. Alberta
2. Saskatchewan
3. Manitoba
4. Newfoundland and Labrador
5. Nova Scotia
6. Prince Edwards Island
offering Medical Insurance Coverage from day one.

Hope it helps
Wish you all Success


Always Hopeful



Hopeful Canadian

 

[SinghLovCan]

Dear i have a very simple question

For exmple our destination is nova scotia and bcoz there are no dirct flights we first arrive in toronto and then goto nova scotia will our health coverage be covered from day one as per nova scotia rules.

 

[Leon]

Yes, because you are moving from another country to Nova Scotia. If you would stay in Toronto for a while, rent an apartment, look for work etc. and then go to Nova Scotia, then it would be treated as a move from Ontario and then you would have to wait.

 

[SinghLovCan]

How do they know that I arrive in nova scotia bcoz it will be domesric flight from toronto to halifax and passport entry stamp will be done at toronto

 

[steaky]

How do they know that I arrive in nova scotia bcoz it will be domesric flight from toronto to halifax and passport entry stamp will be done at toronto

Because transfers are usually done same day or the following day and you have your boarding passes as proof of traveling.

 

[Leon]

And they will see the landing date on your passport and landing papers.

 

[kimwayne]

Dear All
I have a new list of the Canadian Provinces that offer medical services to the newly landed Immigrants from DAY 1
( Current as of 1st March, 2010 )
That enumerates as:
1. Alberta
2. Saskatchewan
3. Manitoba
4. Newfoundland and Labrador
5. Nova Scotia
6. Prince Edwards Island
offering Medical Insurance Coverage from day one.

Hope it helps
Wish you all Success


Always Hopeful



Hopeful Canadian

Thank you so much for this information,it really helps a lot. ;D.

 

[Aquib]

Dear All
I have a new list of the Canadian Provinces that offer medical services to the newly landed Immigrants from DAY 1
( Current as of 1st March, 2010 )
That enumerates as:
1. Alberta
2. Saskatchewan
3. Manitoba
4. Newfoundland and Labrador
5. Nova Scotia
6. Prince Edwards Island
offering Medical Insurance Coverage from day one.

Hope it helps
Wish you all Success


Always Hopeful



Hopeful Canadian

Hi,
Can you please give me link showing free medical from first day .

 

[canadadubai]

What about if a person decided later to go and settle down in Saskatchewan because he find a job there?
Is it a must that he go directly to Saskatchewan first?
Thanx

 

[Leon]

You mean for health care?

The way it works is like this.

1. When you move from abroad, some provinces give you health care right away and some make you wait for 3 months, that's Ontario, Quebec, NB and BC.

2. When you move from province to province, you always have a waiting period for health care but you cover that because you are still covered by the health care from your last province, for example somebody who has been living in Ontario and has OHIP and moves to SK, he will be covered by his OHIP until he can get covered under heath care in SK.

3. If you arrive in Canada in a province that does not provide first day health care (such as Ontario) and before you qualify for OHIP (3 months), you move to another province and decide to live there instead, it is up to that province if they treat your move as a move from abroad (1.) or a move from another province (2.) so it is possible that you leave Ontario after 2 months and 29 days that you will be waiting another 3 months to get health care in your new province.

4. In order to be eligible for health care in any province, you must reside there for at least 6 months a year. In Ontario, additionally, you must reside for 5 out of the first 6 months but after that a general 6 months a year. If you arrive in a province, gain health care and then move to another province without staying in that first province for 6 months in that first year, they could actually decide that you were never eligible for health care there in the first place and they could cancel it retroactively and bill you for the services you received. This actually happened to a woman in BC.

The conclusion you can draw from all that is that if you go to a province where you get first day health care, you should commit to staying there for 6 months to make sure they will not backcharge you. If you go to a province with a 3 month wait, you should either leave before they give you health care or commit to 6 months. Or if you haven't really used the health care card much, then go ahead and leave because you probably wont care if they will backcharge you.

 

[canadadubai]

Thanx Leon,it is very clear to us now

Note: i posted a question can you check it please the topic name is"PROOF OF INCOME-IMM5443E Proof for income for sponsor "
and the link is

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/proof-of-incomeimm5443e-proof-for-income-for-sponsor-t120686.0.html;msg1798091#msg1798091

Thanx

 

[smiler 11]

Hi all,can you get any help with dentist costs after being in Toronto for 3 month Thankx