Pregnant and Immigrant

[Nic1123]

Hello everyone hope all is well with you!

I just wanted to get some advise regarding my current situation.

We have done our initial landing in Vancouver last July and came back to Dubai to arrange some few things before we permanently settle in Vancouver next year, April 2012. My family and I already have our PR cards and it is with us. I am now one month pregnant for my second child, and it will be my 7th month by the time of moving permanently in Vancouver and would need some advise for the following:

- Will I be entitled for a free child birth in any of the Hospital in Vancouver?

- Do I need to apply the insurance immediately once landed in Vancouver? would really appreciate if anyone will advise the necessary procedure that I need to do once I am in vancouver.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Regards,
Nic

 

[Leon]

When you move to BC, you can apply as soon as you arrive but it will still take you 3 months to get a health card. Until you get the card, you will not be covered for any medical expenses. Therefore, if you are set on moving to BC and not to a province that has 1st day health care, you should move sooner, in time to have your coverage before you have the baby.

 

[Nic1123]

Thanks, Leon. That helps a lot. I wonder if I can do my health card application overseas or do you know if there's any facility to apply the health card online? Or does it require personal apperance? otherwise, i have to move sooner to BC. Thanks

 

[scylla]

You must be in Canada to apply and you must do it in person.

 

[Leon]

The 3 month waiting period is to be done after you move to Canada. There wouldn't be much point if you could apply 3 months before your intended move. Then everybody would just do that.

 

[Nic1123]

Thanks, for the advise Scylla and Leon.

The 3 month waiting period is to be done after you move to Canada. There wouldn't be much point if you could apply 3 months before your intended move. Then everybody would just do that.

---- Hi Leaon, does it mean that I have to be in canada atleast 7 months before my delivery in order to get the 3mos waiting period + 3 months health card processing? It means that I have to be there as soon as possibe

 

[Leon]

There is only one 3 month waiting period. I do not know why you assume it is 3 + 3.

 

[firebrand]

so is is possible to move to a province with 1st day coverage after landing in a one that doesn't provide this?
this could make it easier for someone who really needed health cover but was not eligible for a few more months...

 

[Leon]

It is up to the province you move to, to say if they feel you settled in the other province or not.

If they feel you have settled there, they can treat your move like a move between provinces instead of a move from another country and if they do, you will still have a 3 month waiting period.

The provinces that waive the waiting period only do it for international moves. If you are moving between provinces, you usually have coverage in the province where you lived before and you can use that for the first 3 months while you wait for your coverage in the new province to kick in.

Before you pack up and move to another province, check with their health care if they would still treat your move as an international move so you can be covered.

Also keep in mind that your health care is based on being resident in that province for at least 6 months a year. If you move away from that province again within 6 months of taking up residence there, you could be billed for the services they had covered for you.

There is a woman now on this forum who landed in BC and stayed the 3 months to get coverage, however, moved away after total of 4.5 months of living there and she is now being billed for the services they covered for her.

 

[Nic1123]

Thanks again, Leon.

Also keep in mind that your health care is based on being resident in that province for at least 6 months a year. If you move away from that province again within 6 months of taking up residence there, you could be billed for the services they had covered for you.

There is a woman now on this forum who landed in BC and stayed the 3 months to get coverage, however, moved away after total of 4.5 months of living there and she is now being billed for the services they covered for her.

---- Just a question regarding the quoted text...Does it mean that I have to stay in Vancouver for at least 6 mos as a resident so my maternity charges will be covered by the insurance? We did our initial landing last July and stayed in BC for two months but did not apply for the medical cards yet.

 

[Leon]

You still get a health card after 3 months but you must make sure that you stay in BC for at least 6 months out of every 12 or you may find that your health card has become invalid and you may be backcharged for services they paid for you.

In the case of the woman who is being backcharged, she came to BC, stayed 3 months, got the health card, had the baby soon afterwards, left BC to go back to home country with the baby and only spent 4.5 months in BC. She continued to pay her monthly BC health care fees but at some point they contacted her and told her that as she hadn't spent 6 out of 12 months in BC, they were going to refund her monthly fees but bill her for the services she had received.

 

[Nic1123]

Thanks, it is now clear to me . You are such a great help. THANKS A TON!

 

[Nic1123]

Hi Leon,

It's me again me and my husband had thought about it, and we decided that we will make our permanent move earlier by second week January next year.
My due date for delivering the baby will be last week of June / first week of July 2012.
We are planning that the next day after we arrive Vancouver, we will immediately apply for the health card. Is this ok? Would this ensure me to get full insurance coverage by the time I will deliver the baby? Thanks again for your help and advise.

 

[Leon]

Hi Leon,

It's me again me and my husband had thought about it, and we decided that we will make our permanent move earlier by second week January next year.
My due date for delivering the baby will be last week of June / first week of July 2012.
We are planning that the next day after we arrive Vancouver, we will immediately apply for the health card. Is this ok? Would this ensure me to get full insurance coverage by the time I will deliver the baby? Thanks again for your help and advise.

It should work. If you arrive in January and I believe the waiting time in BC is actually 2 months plus the balance of the third and not a full 3 months like in ON, you should have your health cards by April 1st. Do get accident and emergency insurance for this period as you never know, might break an arm or something.

 

[Nic1123]

Thanks Leon for the help and advise. God Bless you more!