Unfortunately no insurance will cover pregnancy after it's happened. So it's a no go there. The other thing is the only insurance she could get would be travel insurance, but I checked into that too and they said she can only get it if she wasn't yet in the country. You have to buy it before you leave on you trip.zenn said:
Wife is Pregnant... What to do?
- Thread starter amitheonlyone
- Start date
How long have you been off depo? It can take up to a year to stop if you've been on it a long time. I wish there was just an on/off switch for being fertile! Somebody really needs to invent birth control for men so it's double the protection.amikety said:
It is impossible to get private health insurance that covers pregnancy/birth costs, if you are already pregnant at time of applying.zenn said:
If they want to have baby in Canada, they need to confirm exactly when applicant will be eligible for healthcare, which has different requirements depending on province.
If healthcare will not be possible, then they should look into costs for a mid-wife if money is a big issue.
This is not true. There are many travel insurances you can get even though you're already in Canada. My fiancee was waiting for PR processing and living in Canada, we got insurance no problem after she was already here, and we even made a claim off it with no problems. There is just a small waiting period of 48 hours after applying, before coverage kicks in (so you don't buy the insurance just to pay for a sudden emergency).amitheonlyone said:
You can get some quotes here: http://www.kanetix.ca/travel-visitors-to-canada#/policy
Since 2009.amitheonlyone said:
Most birth control pills are only effective if they are taken everyday at the same time of day. If you're even 6 hours off, it counts as a miss. Miss two days and you might as well throw away the rest of the cycle. I think a lot of people have a false sense of security with the pill.... can't tell you how many people I know who don't understand how to take it properly and then are surprised when they get pregnant. Not saying this was your case at all.... it just amazes me people aren't more careful with such an important issue! I had to dig deeply into the issue because I am terrible at remembering pills. (Which reminds me, I need to go take my vitamin.... I forgot again!) The pill really isn't for "everyone" as doctors try to tell us.
Doctors also really need to be better educated. For one thing, no one should ever be given the artifical hormone in the depo shot. It's made from pregnant horse pee. If I had known that in the beginning, I never would've put that crap in my body.
But, now thanks to depo, I don't need BC at all........ oh well
Back to the actual issue *puts soapbox away*........ What province are you? Are you applying Inland or Outland? You can look at private health insurance, but most won't pay for a woman if she's already pregnant. In fact, most require you to buy an very expensive maternity rider and then wait 8-10 months before it kicks in. She should definitely look into it, because she might find something offered in Nigeria that works better.
Prince Edward Island = No Midwifes. Yeah, our province sucks. What if we move? What province will give me the best options? We are not averse to moving.Rob_TO said:
Alberta. Once you (the Canadian) qualify for Healthcare (3 months) you can add your wife to your healthcare even if she doesn't have a PR application in process. You must be legally married and have proof (marriage certificate).amitheonlyone said:
Trust me 100% here. I am on my husband's healthcare in Alberta and I was added months before we applied for PR.
I'm in PEI. And we applied inbound. As for insurance, do we have to wait until she gets a health card or until she gets PR? I ask because I have insurance for myself through work.amikety said:Since 2009.
Most birth control pills are only effective if they are taken everyday at the same time of day. If you're even 6 hours off, it counts as a miss. Miss two days and you might as well throw away the rest of the cycle. I think a lot of people have a false sense of security with the pill.... can't tell you how many people I know who don't understand how to take it properly and then are surprised when they get pregnant. Not saying this was your case at all.... it just amazes me people aren't more careful with such an important issue! I had to dig deeply into the issue because I am terrible at remembering pills. (Which reminds me, I need to go take my vitamin.... I forgot again!) The pill really isn't for "everyone" as doctors try to tell us.
Doctors also really need to be better educated. For one thing, no one should ever be given the artifical hormone in the depo shot. It's made from pregnant horse pee. If I had known that in the beginning, I never would've put that crap in my body.
But, now thanks to depo, I don't need BC at all........ oh well
Back to the actual issue *puts soapbox away*........ What province are you? Are you applying Inland or Outland? You can look at private health insurance, but most won't pay for a woman if she's already pregnant. In fact, most require you to buy an very expensive maternity rider and then wait 8-10 months before it kicks in. She should definitely look into it, because she might find something offered in Nigeria that works better.
Alright so let me get this right: After three months of holding a job in Alberta, I am eligible for health insurance and can apply it to my wife. Right? What about getting a health card? If I show them the receipt for our PR will that be enough? I may really need to consider moving to Alberta... Hey, at least there's work there!amikety said:
You don't even need a job, just proof of residence. A lease or utility bill will work just fine. I used my lease for my proof of residency. Make sure she's listed on the lease, even if it's just as a person "authorized" to live on the property with you. That's how I'm listed.amitheonlyone said:
You don't necessarily need proof of her PR application. If she has a valid visitor's visa, student visa, etc - then they will need that. Also, your marriage license and proof of identity, such as passport, driver's license. I found the ladies at the registry to be fairly well informed about immigration compared to the average person.
They will mail her a card, which takes about two weeks. One of the registries here in Calgary sometimes can process the card while you wait. They told me it takes about 20 minutes if the employee is on duty. (You have to call to make sure she's working that day, not on lunch break, etc.) If that happens, they give you the number. You still have to wait for the physical card to arrive, but most doctors will accept you for a few weeks until the card comes.
Alberta also does a lot of in home follow up with nurses, so your wife might get some extra support too. They are really great for first time moms, help with breastfeeding if needed, etc. One of my friends had a pre-mature baby two years ago and the nurses were supporting her all the way. In my opinion, AB is very baby/child friendly.
If you decide to move to Calgary, feel free to ask me anything you need to know. If I don't know, I ask my husband. He's Canadian and lived in Calgary for most of his life. (And secretly enjoys helping me help people on the forum.)
You are Canadian and have healthcare right now, correct? So even if you move to Alberta, I believe you will still be covered under PEI provincial insurance for the first 3 months in Alberta (not including your work insurance).amitheonlyone said:
As for private health insurance, your wife can apply anywhere and anytime. There is no special requirement here. Only this would be for medical issues NOT related to the pregnancy.
If you look at my first post here (the 4th one on 1st page) i provided link to "Health" section of this forum. That section is not so active, but the people who do post there are very knowledgeable specifically about provincial healthcare and pregnancy issues.
I don't even know what to say! You've been so informative and just great. Thank-you so much! Only thing is... She doesn't have a valid student visa (I noticed you wrote "if") or anything else besides the PR receipt. The PR is the only thing keeping her in Canada so would a receipt for PR work in place of the student visa? And once you get that health card can you get insured or does the insurance still have to wait until PR is complete?amikety said:
Thanks again!
Thanks! I will check that out as well. But about the private health insurance, I called 5 different companies and I believe one said they'd cover her with travel only but couldn't give her anything besides that until she was a permanent resident. The other 4 insurance companies simply said "Call us when she has permanent residency and she will be eligible for coverage." So I guess only travel insurance will work until she has PR? I want to know, is it PR she needs to get covered by private insurance, or is it a health card? I believe it's PR. Anyway, even if I can get a health card that will cover most of the cost. I'll just pray that she doesn't have any complications... I know it can get expensive. I guess the health card is really all that matters at this point as no insurance will cover an existing pregnancy anyway.Rob_TO said:
That's why I said the registry employees are usually well informed. By the time you get to Alberta and can apply for her healthcare, you will probably have your AIP (approved in principle). You can bring that and it's accepted. If not, you will need to talk to the registry and see if they will accept the PR receipt. Hopefully you applied for an open work permit with the Inland application, because that's what gives her Implied Status. Proof of those two things should work - it's just a matter of finding an employee that is knowledgable enough to understand.amitheonlyone said:
I find the healtcare system tends to be rather forgiving and works with people. I applied for healthcare in October 2012 and my status expired in Nov 2012. I had applied for a renewal in Oct as well. In December, healthcare called us and asked about my status. I explained when I applied and how I applied. They gave me 90 more days with healthcare to get my new status and bring in proof. I am not 100% sure if they will cover her with just a PR application and Implied Status, but once she gets the OWP and AIP, there will be no problems.
She will covered by healthcare as soon as she gets the card. She can go to the doctor the same day if needed.
Alberta healthcare also has a really nice doctor search feature. It allows you to search by a number of criteria, including language spoken. She may be able to find a doctor that speaks her native language, if that isn't English. No guarantees, but it gives her options. http://www.cpsa.ab.ca/PhysicianSearch/AdvancedSearch.aspx
I'm not quite sure i understand here. If you have provincial healthcare coverage, you don't need private insurance (unless you are looking for other things like dentist coverage).amitheonlyone said:
And if you don't have healthcare, then you can easily get private travel insurance. This travel insurance is approx $50 per month and can be for as long as you want, and would cover any medical emergencies care, tests, drugs etc. It doesn't matter if you are in Canada already, and it doesn't matter on the applicant's status here. This will not cover any pregnancy related issues, but can still be a useful thing to have for any other medical emergencies that can happen.
My fiancee had a minor stomach issue, and after a few trips to doctor, a few tests and some meds... the bill the health insurance company paid was around $600! Here in Toronto some emergency rooms demand you pay them over $800 up-front just to get admitted.