findind a doctor

[marta cocchi]

I am an Italian citizen in a common law relationship with a Canadian citizen.
We live in BC and I sent an application for a PR inland.
I am waiting for my PR to be approved and it will take 8 months or more until I get it, then, if I understand correctly, I will be able to ask for a medical health card.

We are speaking of starting a family and I need to find a doctor, a dentist and a gynaecologist in BC before I start trying to conceive.
Being in a common law, do I have the right to health care? Is maternity covered by his health care card? Can I register with a doctor?

Thank you.

 

[Caribou]

I am an Italian citizen in a common law relationship with a Canadian citizen.
We live in BC and I sent an application for a PR inland.
I am waiting for my PR to be approved and it will take 8 months or more until I get it, then, if I understand correctly, I will be able to ask for a medical health card.

We are speaking of starting a family and I need to find a doctor, a dentist and a gynaecologist in BC before I start trying to conceive.
Being in a common law, do I have the right to health care? Is maternity covered by his health care card? Can I register with a doctor?

Thank you.

YES, you can apply for msp
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/health-drug-coverage/medical-services-plan/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible/covering-a-spouse-or-child-who-is-an-applicant-for-permanent-resident-status-in-canada.pdf
you have to pay for medical in BC, but maternity service is fully covered. prescription medication coverage and dental care is not part of medical coverage, and you have to obtain it from your employer if you or your spouse's employer provides extended medical coverage.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible
you fall under "dependent", and you HAVE to submit your application after you have AOR or have SA approval form submitted.
I submitted my SA approval from cic application status website, and copy of email from cic for SA approval, copy of website showing my spouse's application showing "IN PROCESS"

so, for inland application SA takes longer, so if you have work permit, you can also apply. you just need "proof" that your application for permanent residency is in process.

https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search
go here and click on "family physician" to find a doctor that accepts new patients. you can also get referral from walk-in clinic.

good luck.

 

[Gemini020]

Caribou, are you saying you can get MSP while waiting for the application to be processed?? (After sponsorship is approved and the 3 month waiting time). That would be so awesome, I always assumed it was three months after landing as a PR and thus after the full processing time.

 

[Caribou]

Caribou, are you saying you can get MSP while waiting for the application to be processed?? (After sponsorship is approved and the 3 month waiting time). That would be so awesome, I always assumed it was three months after landing as a PR and thus after the full processing time.

you do have those 3 months waiting, but it counts from the day you enter country.
So, if your spouse enter Canada on visitor visa, you can start using that date as entry date. They only gave us expiration date until end of 6 mo visa stamp, but we are renewing it with visitor record until we get PR, so medical kicks in before landing.
My work pays for MSP and extended health care, so no extra $ for me to pay anyway.
visa stamped on May 10, applied for msp in July, also got SA approval in July as well. So, the card came around late august/september with expiration date of Nov 30. (They counted waiting period as May-Aug)
I had to renew MSP multiple times before PR, so I guess I knew which button to push...

 

[stephcy]

YES, you can apply for msp
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/health-drug-coverage/medical-services-plan/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible/covering-a-spouse-or-child-who-is-an-applicant-for-permanent-resident-status-in-canada.pdf
you have to pay for medical in BC, but maternity service is fully covered. prescription medication coverage and dental care is not part of medical coverage, and you have to obtain it from your employer if you or your spouse's employer provides extended medical coverage.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible
you fall under "dependent", and you HAVE to submit your application after you have AOR or have SA approval form submitted.
I submitted my SA approval from cic application status website, and copy of email from cic for SA approval, copy of website showing my spouse's application showing "IN PROCESS"

so, for inland application SA takes longer, so if you have work permit, you can also apply. you just need "proof" that your application for permanent residency is in process.

https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search
go here and click on "family physician" to find a doctor that accepts new patients. you can also get referral from walk-in clinic.

good luck.

Caribou,

Do you know if this applies for Ontario as well? I'm in a kind of similar situation with marta cocchi. I'm in a common law relation with a Canadian, we applied for sponsorship visa and received SA last week, however we applied outland, but I'm in Canada as a visitor for more than a year. I have a visa extension until the end of June 2015... As I'm in Canada my application was forwarded to Ottawa and not to Rome.
We want to start a family too, but without any health care for pregnancy it will cost us a fortune....


Thank you

 

[Rob_TO]

Caribou,

Do you know if this applies for Ontario as well? I'm in a kind of similar situation with marta cocchi. I'm in a common law relation with a Canadian, we applied for sponsorship visa and received SA last week, however we applied outland, but I'm in Canada as a visitor for more than a year. I have a visa extension until the end of June 2015... As I'm in Canada my application was forwarded to Ottawa and not to Rome.
We want to start a family too, but without any health care for pregnancy it will cost us a fortune....


Thank you

For visitors living in Ontario, there is a stage during the PR processing at the outland visa office, where the applicant becomes eligible to begin the 3-month waiting period for OHIP. However getting this info and actually getting OHIP, involves lots of steps and going through a bureaucratic process.
Read through this thread for details, in particular to posts from bartjones: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/important-ohip-eligibility-info-for-all-pr-applicants-residing-in-ontario-t56695.0.html;msg2518001#msg2518001

 

[stephcy]

Thank you Rob_TO. It's a great post and gives me lots of hope