Will my wife get medical coverage etc when she arrives?

[heatherusa]

I forgot to mention, a friend of mine did same thing......she landed in AB, gave birth 4-days later and she was covered by AB healthcare. If your wife gives birth in your home country, it will cause a delay in moving down here. First, she will have to get the baby a passport as well as process permanent residency for the baby which could take atleast 6 months or more. If she gives birth in Canada, the baby is an automatic citizen of Canada.

Goodluck.

In order to register for Alberta Health Care a person has to prove residency in that province so although they are covered from day one they cant register until they can prove an address and so if health care were required in between landing and registering then you can get reimbursement from AHC.

 

[Lifer]

My first question is about insurance... is it really possible to get insurance for a pregnant woman that will cover giving birth, a potential $10,000 expense?!!?!? It seems insane for the insurance company to offer that coverage when they KNOW she'll be giving birth in a few months. Has anyone else done this?

Apart from insurance, it seems like my options are:
a) pay up to $10,000 to have the baby in BC
b) have the baby here in Thailand, but be delayed by several months because we'll need to get papers for the new baby
c) take up residence in Alberta immediately upon landing, rather than in BC where I was originally planning to stay (my parents live there EDIT: in BC!!). I could then move to BC after our baby is born.


None of the options seem particularly good. Option c) feels a little dirty, but it's easy to see that it would be the best thing for my family. It's a shame that we're forced to jump through all these hoops.

 

[HoneyBird]

If your parents are living in Alberta! well then thats the automatic choice. Double plus, you get to live at your parents home, they will help you and your new wife take care of the baby and get settled in. Parental support is very crucial especially with a new born and in your case with a new wife settling in a new country. This is an opportune time to use it. Also remember, if there are any complications with your baby (god forbid) then all that is covered freely under alberta. I dont see anything wrong with landing Alberta and staying there for a bit. You are technically a resident there (by virtue of your parents-birthplace).And your kid is Canadian and deserves some free coverage!!!

Some people here were saying oh that its beating the system..well how is it beating the system? the kid is freaking canadian. And that we all have to go through red tape. Well why should the spouse of a canadian suffer? I was reading a message by Matthew C and you know what? 2 Foreign nationals have more rights in this country than a Canadian and Foreign Spouse. Yep. See when the foreign national applies for Permanent Residency, his wife comes with him AND SHE gets an open work permit too! Compared to a canadian spouse who can come but cannot work with a visitor visa! So for these 2 happy foreign nationals Life goes on as usual. Its the spouses of Canadians that suffer and suffer through loss of income, loss of time together , lawyers, appeals, missed birthdays, missed times together...


So lifer, find out all you can, i don't wantto see you in a black hole because of 10,000 down the drain for what should be free for your spouse, you can take that money instead and invest in something else for the kid (his university fund )

I know i will get negative karma for this...but the system continues to cheat real couples and makes its easier for everyone else to get a free ride!

 

[Canuky]

way to go HoneyBird, nice nice post. I will advise same as well......Land in AB, sort things out and relocate to BC when you are fully settled in. If you have $10,000 to throw down the toilet, then land anywhere else in Canada!!!! Also remember, it could be upto $25,000 for non-traditional birth plus complications (God forbid!)

 

[boblu]

all it takes is to buy a few mounths of insurance if you live in BC
I am sure you will papers on this with all the information For medical for the year it is less than $1000 but all you need if you have medical already is the 3 month waiting time around $300 for the person coming in with out it

 

[chelley]

If you are a Canadian citizen by birthright, your child born outside of Canada will be too, right? So i think the only real delay will be obtaining a passport for the baby (and possibly travel visa), the baby won't need a PR application would (s)he?

 

[robrod]

Better read this again before trying to beat the system in Alberta, just in case you missed the post:

According to the Alberta health website:

Quote

Moving to Alberta from another province or territory?

You are eligible for AHCIP coverage on the first day of the third month following your date of arrival. You should register before the first day of the fourth month after you arrive. If you apply later, the effective date of your coverage will be determined when you register.

 

[robrod]

Cheating out Alberta out of $10,000 of tax payer's money instead of spending them in someone born in that province, let alone this country, is not cool.
On the other hand, if Alberta allows you to land as a PR there, get health insurance to take care of medical conditions right away 3 months ahead of legit out-of-provincers settling in and then you move to another province knowing that was your intention all along and never to reside in Alberta (just grab their medical benefits) in the first place, that's the way Alberta elected to have it.

 

[HoneyBird]

I think you are misunderstanding this issue.
The Sponsor is originally from Alberta, his parents still resides there. His wife is pregant. She is carrying his child (a Canadian Citizen) in her belly. He has sponsored her. Spent months apart. Money for all the paperwork etc. The papers finally come thru and now instead of her giving birth in homeland and putting even more delays (because he wants to be there for the first few weeks of his new child's life) he wants her to come to Canada to give birth. But its like 10,000 CAD. That 10,000 Cad that he could use elsewhere. AND the Child is a Canadian...grow up to be contributing member of society.

Now compare that to 1 foreign national coming as a skilled worker. His wife gets a 'free pass' to come live here with him without hassle. She gets a 'free pass' in getting an open work permit. Their kids gets a 'free pass' to enroll in your school system. All 'free passes'. However a Canadian National with a foreign spouse carrying a Canadian Child is denied healthcare. Does not ring alarm bells for you? Canada needs youngens but are more willing to facilitate foreign nationals and their spouses and children.

How what he is doing is wrong? Canada is Canada. Whether he lives in Alberta or Ontario. Its all the same. One Canada. Hell that Child one day might grow up and go to Alberta because of a job or because he wants to help care for his grandparents.

See the big picture...the Child in that Womb is a Canadian. He/she belongs and deserves rights.

If this is upsetting you so much, how does all the refugees sucking up welfare make u feel? Aren't you paying taxes and contributing to them? Do they have more rights than this unborn canadian child?

 

[mrsprogram]

My husband landed on August 7 and he applied for Alberta Healthcare on the following Monday. His card came a few days later. With proof of residency, he is eligible from day one.

 

[bobshynoswife]

In order to register for Alberta Health Care a person has to prove residency in that province so although they are covered from day one they cant register until they can prove an address and so if health care were required in between landing and registering then you can get reimbursement from AHC.

My husband applied for AHC the day after he arrived and had to show is COPR which has his Alberta address on it.

I find it kind of sick that people would think of landing in Alberta for the free health care before moving on to their intended province. I work in Alberta and pay Alberta taxes for all Albertans to have health care, not people from outside our province who want to take advantage.

I should also mention that when you move from another province your AHC kicks in after 3 months, because you are assumed to have health coverage from another province which covers you for 3 months after moving.

 

[bobshynoswife]

Another option is having a homebirth in BC. Midwives can be hired privately for about $3000.

 

[hoping75]

He Said he intended on living in BC because that is where his parents live. His parents live in BC, Not Alberta

 

[bobshynoswife]

How what he is doing is wrong? Canada is Canada. Whether he lives in Alberta or Ontario. Its all the same. One Canada. Hell that Child one day might grow up and go to Alberta because of a job or because he wants to help care for his grandparents.

See the big picture...the Child in that Womb is a Canadian. He/she belongs and deserves rights.

Uhhh....nope. If someone moves out of the country and then back to, say, Ontario, they still wait 3 months for health care. Even if they were born in, raised and payed a million dollars in taxes to Ontario. Those are the rules. As far as the 'child in that womb is a Canadian' - babies are covered from birth no matter what province they are born in, whether or not the mother has health care. The baby will be covered. The mother's care will not be, as she has not fulfilled the requirements to obtain health coverage.

I think this is why couples in our situtations (overseas, apart, applying for PR) need to ensure they do not get pregnant before coming to Canada and having health care. Please don't give me the whole "accidents happen" thing, because it isn't that hard to prevent a pregnancy until you are ready to have a baby.

 

[HoneyBird]

Okay I see your point. But I still think its unfair.To cover the child and not cover the mother..but we agree to disagree.