URGENT!!! GIVING BIRTH NOT COVERED FOR VISITORS TO CANADA???

[bacidash]

PLEASE HELP!!!

My wife just received her Visitor Visa, our plan is for her to come and stay the whole summer. and shes due in the beginning of august.

I just heard that she wont be covered to give birth in canada and some insurance companies i looked at, wont cover birth, or even checkups, they only cover premature birth and some other complications.

First of all, is this true? that they dont cover checkups and birth.

Secondly, what are my options? other than paying it all myself.

PLEASE HELP ASAP...

PS. Im a canadian citizen, she isnt.

 

[scylla]

Canada's health care system certainly won't cover her - she's only here as a visitor.

And yes - insurance companies will normally only cover complications related to the birth - not expected costs (like the birth and check ups). Think about it from the insurance company's perspective. Insurance companies are the business of making money. It wouldn't make sense for them to sell policies that they know will cost them far more than they get in insurance premiums / fees from you. There are some policies that cover expected costs - but they have to be purchased before someone is pregnant.

You only have a few options. One is to cover all of the costs yourself. The second is to have the child at home with the assistance of a midwife (this should significantly reduce the overall costs of the birth). The third is to make the decision to have the baby in your wife's home country where presumably she has free or cheaper health care available to her.

 

[Blessing1]

If you are in Alberta you can add her to your provincial health insurance. I was able to add my husband to my insurance when he visited me while I was still a student. I don't know what happens in other provinces though but I presume it should be similar.

 

[bacidash]

The second is to have the child at home with the assistance of a midwife (this should significantly reduce the overall costs of the birth).

I was told that you cant even get a midwife, unless you have a Carecard (i live in BC). if i can get a midwife without a carecard, do you know approx, how much such services would cost? because doing it in the hospital, from what i read, costs between $7000 and $8000.

 

[scylla]

I was told that you cant even get a midwife, unless you have a Carecard (i live in BC). if i can get a midwife without a carecard, do you know approx, how much such services would cost? because doing it in the hospital, from what i read, costs between $7000 and $8000.

The midwife rules to vary from province to province. I'm not familiar with the rules in BC and it's entirely possible that what you have researched and discovered is correct. Hopefully someone else can confirm.

Yes - for a hospital birth (without complications), I would assume you're looking at something between $7K and $8K.

 

[chau01]

PLEASE HELP!!!

My wife just received her Visitor Visa, our plan is for her to come and stay the whole summer. and shes due in the beginning of august.

I just heard that she wont be covered to give birth in canada and some insurance companies i looked at, wont cover birth, or even checkups, they only cover premature birth and some other complications.

First of all, is this true? that they dont cover checkups and birth.

Secondly, what are my options? other than paying it all myself.

PLEASE HELP ASAP...

PS. Im a canadian citizen, she isnt.

Not sure about other provinces but in Alberta, it would not cost you more than $3000 if you go to hospital emenrgency at the time. This info is based on case with very close friend in Calgary.

 

[kriv]

Not sure about other provinces but in Alberta, it would not cost you more than $3000 if you go to hospital emenrgency at the time. This info is based on case with very close friend in Calgary.

In Alberta the dependents of a legal resident of Alberta (a person who has Alberta health card) are fully covered even if the dependent is on a visitor visa (trv), the dependents gets their own Alberta health card.

 

[sid1912]

In Alberta the dependents of a legal resident of Alberta (a person who has Alberta health card) are fully covered even if the dependent is on a visitor visa (trv), the dependents gets their own Alberta health card.

Hi

I am in a similar situation and living in Alberta. My wife is a US citizen and her immigration is in process. If she comes to Alberta as a visitor , will she be eligible for a health card with benefits like giving birth?. I am not quite sure as to why they would give these benefits to a visitor even if spouse is a citizen of Canada.

 

[mikeymyke]

I am not quite sure as to why they would give these benefits to a visitor even if spouse is a citizen of Canada.

Because Alberta is rich that's why. It's also one of the only provinces that I know of which does not have a 3 month wait period for new immigrants to receive provincial health coverage. Also when you do finally land as PR, it's also one of the few provinces that doesn't charge a health care premium like Ontario or BC does.

But yes you can add your wife to your AHCIP, it's only a temporary one until she gets her actual PR. I wish I had known that was possible because I would've saved $60 on travel insurance for the time she was here as a visitor, but come on, who would've thought Alberta would allow non PR dependents to get AHCIP?

 

[sid1912]

Hi

I am a Canadian citizen planning to visit US and my pregnant wife will be coming with me to Alberta Canada. I have been living in Alberta for the last 5 years. My wife's immigration is in process and we are planning to have our baby in alberta Canada. Would a stamp on her passport be enough to apply for AHCIP? We also have marriage certificate just to be on the safe side. I also bought a return ticket after 5 months so we can show immigration that my wife will not be overstaying her visit.

Also will my wife be covered for everything that a canadain citizen is covered for for her time of stay in Canada?

Thanks

 

[Jalex23]

In Alberta the dependents of a legal resident of Alberta (a person who has Alberta health card) are fully covered even if the dependent is on a visitor visa (trv), the dependents gets their own Alberta health card.

The key word is "dependant"... you have to prove that the "visitor" is a dependant... and no, just because someone is married to you doesn't qualify them as your dependant.

Then the dependant needs a document that proves their status. Stamped passport or TRV does not qualify as a document.

Finally the dependant needs to prove that they intend to stay in Alberta for the following 12 months.

Because Alberta is rich that's why.

We were rich, but now with the recession things have changed. Definitely tax payers wouldn't like to see visitors getting medical attention for free when Province Tax implementation is being discussed.

I am in a similar situation and living in Alberta. My wife is a US citizen and her immigration is in process. If she comes to Alberta as a visitor , will she be eligible for a health card with benefits like giving birth?. I am not quite sure as to why they would give these benefits to a visitor even if spouse is a citizen of Canada.

It is not that simple. Please read to check if she is eligible:
http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/temporary-residents.html