How 2 avail necesry medical assistance in case of landing with 5 month pregnancy

[peacelovecanada]

Dear Friends

We are excited to land in Canada in March 2016 on a federal skilled migration program. Toronto,Ontario is our preferred destination. My wife will be five months pregnant in March. I understand that medical facility is not extended till 3 months after landing but in this case we will be desperately needing medical support for the mother. Are these cases addressed as exception in Ontario? how do we go about in this situation where my wife would be needing regular check ups and doctors advise in normal circumstances and also in case of pain or irregular event taking place. Please guide.

Thanks

 

[Rob_TO]

Dear Friends

We are excited to land in Canada in March 2016 on a federal skilled migration program. Toronto,Ontario is our preferred destination. My wife will be five months pregnant in March. I understand that medical facility is not extended till 3 months after landing but in this case we will be desperately needing medical support for the mother. Are these cases addressed as exception in Ontario? how do we go about in this situation where my wife would be needing regular check ups and doctors advise in normal circumstances and also in case of pain or irregular event taking place. Please guide.

Thanks

No, there are no exceptions to the 3-month waiting time. For the first 3 months you will need to pay out-of-pocket for every regular doctor visit, ultrasound, etc, as well as if any hospital visits are required for emergencies. If the actual delivery happens before the 3-months waiting period, you'll also need to pay for all the delivery costs.

An alternative is to try to find a midwife, as their services are free in Ontario even to those without OHIP coverage. A midwife can be used during entire pregnancy for regular checkups and the delivery, as long as there are no complications. However in Toronto they are in very high demand, so you'll need to call all the midwife offices in your area after arriving to see if any will have room to take your wife as a patient.

Another alternative is to change your destination to a province that has no waiting period so you would be covered for healthcare immediately upon landing (like Alberta). If you do this, you just need to make sure you stay resident in the province for the stated duration (I think it's at least 6-9 months).