Moving to Canada with US citizen kids - health insurance

[vcoer]

Hi,
Me and my spouse have Canadian PRs (Indian Citizens) but our newly born US citizen kids don't. I am moving to Canada and am wondering what to do about my infants' Health Insurance. Since it will be 1 year before they can receive their PR, what options do I have for their health insurance meanwhile?

1. Since the newborns need the most medical care and doctors visit including immunization and any special needs in the first couple of years, I am sure I will need good coverage for them. What are my options?

2. After living in US for 12 years I know for a fact that visitor insurance is a sham and is utterly useless for day to day medical needs. I think it would be no different for visitors insurance coverage in Canada?

3. If I decide to pay out of pocket, would it be as insanely expensive as in USA. E.g. immunizations, blood tests, ultrasounds etc? If not, can someone give me a good reference?

4. I heard the wait times are sometimes bad for medical attention? Would that be true even for kids? How about if I am going for it via private insurance and not state health card?

Thanks,
Vivek

 

[lampbreaker]

I think you can buy private insurance, but most reasonable ones will only work for extreme cases. Most of the normal day-to-day costs will have to be borne out of pocket. These should not be exorbitant, but obviously not cheap either.

 

[scylla]

Hi,
Me and my spouse have Canadian PRs (Indian Citizens) but our newly born US citizen kids don't. I am moving to Canada and am wondering what to do about my infants' Health Insurance. Since it will be 1 year before they can receive their PR, what options do I have for their health insurance meanwhile?

1. Since the newborns need the most medical care and doctors visit including immunization and any special needs in the first couple of years, I am sure I will need good coverage for them. What are my options?

2. After living in US for 12 years I know for a fact that visitor insurance is a sham and is utterly useless for day to day medical needs. I think it would be no different for visitors insurance coverage in Canada?

3. If I decide to pay out of pocket, would it be as insanely expensive as in USA. E.g. immunizations, blood tests, ultrasounds etc? If not, can someone give me a good reference?

4. I heard the wait times are sometimes bad for medical attention? Would that be true even fir kids? How about if I am going for it via private insurance) and not state health card?

Thanks,
Vivek

1. Private insurance for emergencies. Paying for non-emergency care yourself.
2. Correct. Private insurance will cover emergencies but you will need to pay for non-emergency care out of pocket. Any private plan that covers non-emergency care will have high rates and limits / deductibles. You're better off paying for non-emergency care yourself rather than getting coverage.
3. It's not cheap - rates are generally pretty standard across clinics since health care is public.
4. There's no private system. Even if you have insurance or are paying for it yourself, you still go through the public care stream.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Wait times are determined by need. If you are seriously ill, or have a issue that requires immediate action, then you are given priority. Case in point, I had an ear infection that required for me to see a ENT specialist, I was seen the next day, and the other hand if your issue is not determined to be an emergency, then you are referred to a specialist and put on the "list"
For an uninsured individual you would not go to emergency for a non emergency issue, the charge can be from $800-$1000. You would go to a walk in clinic where the charge would run around $100.
When I have gone into a walk in clinic in Toronto they will a fee schedule chart for those uninsured, and will require the fee paid prior to seeing the Dr.

 

[Publius_Cornelius_Scipio]

Hi,
Me and my spouse have Canadian PRs (Indian Citizens) but our newly born US citizen kids don't. I am moving to Canada and am wondering what to do about my infants' Health Insurance. Since it will be 1 year before they can receive their PR, what options do I have for their health insurance meanwhile?

1. Since the newborns need the most medical care and doctors visit including immunization and any special needs in the first couple of years, I am sure I will need good coverage for them. What are my options?

2. After living in US for 12 years I know for a fact that visitor insurance is a sham and is utterly useless for day to day medical needs. I think it would be no different for visitors insurance coverage in Canada?

3. If I decide to pay out of pocket, would it be as insanely expensive as in USA. E.g. immunizations, blood tests, ultrasounds etc? If not, can someone give me a good reference?

4. I heard the wait times are sometimes bad for medical attention? Would that be true even for kids? How about if I am going for it via private insurance and not state health card?

Thanks,
Vivek

1. buy short-term medical insurance. I remember BCBS offers good rates.

2. Read the terms. If it is a sham is subjective. I don't think all of them are rubbish.

3. Most if not all medical treatments in Canadian medical industry are cheaper than in the American one, even if you pay out of pocket. This is why routinely some Americans travel to Canada, just to buy some medical supplies, with out-of-pocket money.

4. Waiting time is different across provinces. I remember some don't even have waiting periods. You have to tell which province is the subject matter.

 

[vcoer]

1. buy short-term medical insurance. I remember BCBS offers good rates.

2. Read the terms. If it is a sham is subjective. I don't think all of them are rubbish.

3. Most if not all medical treatments in Canadian medical industry are cheaper than in the American one, even if you pay out of pocket. This is why routinely some Americans travel to Canada, just to buy some medical supplies, with out-of-pocket money.

4. Waiting time is different across provinces. I remember some don't even have waiting periods. You have to tell which province is the subject matter.

You have to tell which province is the subject matter.
-> Vancouver area, British Columbia

 

[Publius_Cornelius_Scipio]

You have to tell which province is the subject matter.
-> Vancouver area, British Columbia

BC is very strange. You can time your arrival so that the waiting period is less than three months.

 

[Publius_Cornelius_Scipio]

You have to tell which province is the subject matter.
-> Vancouver area, British Columbia

put that in the original post. Hardly anybody reads the following replies, except you and me.

 

[vcoer]

BC is very strange. You can time your arrival so that the waiting period is less than three months.

Thanks. Any tips on that?

 

[vcoer]

put that in the original post. Hardly anybody reads the following replies, except you and me.

Edit button doesn't show on original post anymore!

 

[Publius_Cornelius_Scipio]

Edit button doesn't show on original post anymore!

oh, I hate that.