Wife got pregnant before BC msp coverage begins

[garyd00]

My wife and I found out we're pregnant last week . We live in bc. Her msp coverage doesn't begin until October 1. She has a PHN but the card hasn't arrived yet. . I made a big mistake and bought visitors to canada insurance that doesn't reimburse costs related to pregnancy. We had to visit the emergency room last weekend due to some light bleeding. After a few doctor visits, blood tests and ultrasounds things look to be on track . My question is. Will msp partially reimburse any of the costs so far associated with the pregnancy (doctor visits, blood tests, ultrasound, emergency room fees)? Or are we on the hook for everything until October 1?

 

[scylla]

You're on the hook for everything until October 1st.

 

[Steevy]

Agreed with scylla.

Yet, as for Visitors to Canada insurance, there is an insurance plan that covers medical emergencies associated with pregnancy i.e. bleedings, abdominal pain, pre-mature birth or miscarriage up to the 31st week (inclusively) of insured's pregnancy as well as it covers non-pregnancy medical emergencies.

Pregnancy Complications Coverage

Considering your case, you will need to wait for MSP to kick in as the VTC insurance plan, I've just mentioned, will not cover recurring complications for the next 180 days, since it is already a pre-existing medical condition.

 

[smk_ujs]

How long do you have to wait to get MSP?

What is the exact procedure?
Does the wait perios start counting from the day you land in BC or from the day you apply for health card?

 

[Tri-Cities]

Do you agree that it would make sense to look up their website to get all information or maybe call them directly?

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp

MSP won't cover anything until she is eligible. Until then it's all on you.

Please don't get this wrong, I am a parent myself, but why do people think it's a good idea to move to a country (or Province), being pregnant (everyone knows that's a big deal) but don't know nothing about the health care and coverage? I would always make sure that I can afford pregnancy and all the medical issues that could come with it.

All the best for the mom and the baby!

 

[Leon]

How long do you have to wait to get MSP?

What is the exact procedure?
Does the wait perios start counting from the day you land in BC or from the day you apply for health card?

The waiting period in BC is 2 months plus the balance of the 3rd so if you had landed yesterday on August 31st, you would get coverage on Dec. 1st and if you had landed today, you would get coverage on Jan. 1st.

You get coverage by applying for it. You can find an application form here: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/how-to-enrol

The waiting period starts when you become eligible. If you are coming as a PR, it starts when you take up residence in BC. If you came to BC as a visitor and then manage to get status that makes you eligible for health care, be it work permit or PR, the waiting period would start when you got your status.

 

[steaky]

Please don't get this wrong, I am a parent myself, but why do people think it's a good idea to move to a country (or Province), being pregnant (everyone knows that's a big deal) but don't know nothing about the health care and coverage? I would always make sure that I can afford pregnancy and all the medical issues that could come with it.

All the best for the mom and the baby!

In the case of a friend, it was a great choice. She got her FSW approved at the time she was pregnant. Before coming to Vancouver to land and give birth, she arranged accommodation and related services. After delivery, she took care her son and qualified for citizenship.

 

[Leon]

In the case of a friend, it was a great choice. She got her FSW approved at the time she was pregnant. Before coming to Vancouver to land and give birth, she arranged accommodation and related services. After delivery, she took care her son and qualified for citizenship.

I don't think there's anything wrong with moving while pregnant but you always have to protect yourself in regard to healthcare. We have seen people here who had bills for thousands of $ because they or their child had a medical emergency during the health care waiting period so in light of that, newcomers should make sure they have some kind of emergency insurance if they are going to a waiting period province.

 

[Tri-Cities]

steaky... I'm not against moving but I, as a parent think and you can read it often on this forum and elsewhere that people move from one country to another (or Province), plus being pregnant but don't know nothing about the health care system. I just don't understand. That is risky, end of story.

At any given time I would make sure I am on the safe side, making sure that I can get the help I need or the baby needs and not being blessed with a huge bill afterwards.

Especially in Van we have (you sure know) a huge issue with pregnant women coming from overseas - yes I'm talking about the birth tourism. It's all good until the newborn needs medical attention... there are some open bills laying at the hospitals waiting to be paid.

That's an issue.

But back to this case. If we tell immigrants all the time it's not a problem to come to Canada, everything will be fine and easy peasy, that's just not true.

I have seen myself more than enough people who where told that story and they ended up with having no money, not even enough to fly back to their home country where at least family can help out.

So when I'm not always like "hey everything is just a piece of cake" then there is a reason for that.

Who is going to help a family financially when something goes very wrong just because they're not informed and being told it's all good?

As an immigrant myself I wish everyone the best of luck, no kidding. But I learned a lot during the past 10 years.

When everything works out fine that's great! But what if not? I know very lucky immigrants, but I know the opposite as well.

Good luck to this couple!!

 

[Tri-Cities]

One more thing. Don't forget that some immigrants come to Canada because they hope and wish for a better future, especially work wise, money wise. Some leave everything behind and just have "some" bucks to start.

Not a good start when bills for medical help eat up the money.

 

[smk_ujs]

Do we know of any such rule that states that MSP will backcharge you if you are not a resident and deliver a child in BC.

Some one on one of the forums stated that though she was a citizen she was asked to pay the delivery charges because she was no more a resident ( i think she had travelled for more than 6 months or some thing)

she told me that if i dnt live in BC meaning I dont have a job in BC or was not meant to stay in BC, then I have to pay every thing from my own pocket even though i AM pr IN CANADA

My question is if I move to BC in Dec this year, i will be eligible for coverage in March and deliver the baby in May and lets say leave in July and cancel my coverage saying I have to leave, will they backcharge me just because I am leaving? or will they say ahh she lived here for 6 months and it is fine, all her delivery charges should be covered by MSP as she fulfilled her residency obligation?

in other words, can I move there for 6 months, have the baby, surrender MSP and come back to my country? would that be legal?

is there any rule that says you have to stay for all of your pregnancy in BC in order to deliver in BC free of cost?

 

[Leon]

MSP has two rules, waiting period and eligibility.

With the waiting period, it means when you arrive in BC, you must wait 2-3 months to get coverage.

With the eligibility which is living in BC at least 6 months every calendar year and you commit to this when you sign up. Actually on their application form they also ask if you are going to be outside BC for more than 30 days in the next 6 months so I assume you have to meet that requirement as well.

Now, if you sign up for health care, use it and then move and never even meet the eligibility requirements even once, MSP could say that you were never eligible in the first place and hence they will cancel your coverage retroactively (meaning as if you never had it) and back charge you for what they paid for you. People have actually been on this forum and said this has happened to them.

These rules are not just for PR's, they are also for ciitzens. A person who leaves his province for a long period of time without moving to another province and applying for and getting health care there can end up in the situation that they lose their coverage.

They will however not be retroactively cancelled and back charged for expenses that happened before they left as long as they met the eligibility requirements until that point.

However, if they come back and start using an old health card that actually should have been cancelled because they did not meet the eligibility, they can get back charged to the point of coming back if health care finds out.

 

[Buletruck]

I have to pay every thing from my own pocket even though i AM pr IN CANADA

As pointed out, being a PR or citizen does not entitle you to health coverage, unless you meet the eligibility criteria. The misconception that I have noticed on the forum from some posters Is that health care in Canada is free. It isn't! Someone, somewhere is paying (the tax payer in this case). As with anything that benefits from tax dollars, there is public oversight on how the dollars are spent. If you have not or do not meet the eligibility, they will try to recover the cost, regardless of whether you are a PR or citizen.

 

[Leon]

True, it's a misconception that a PR or citizen will have automatic coverage. You have to register for coverage in your province and meet the eligibility requirement. Most provinces don't have a waiting period but all of them have an eligibility requirement stating that you must live there for x days per year.

If you leave the province, you should notify them. If you are gone too long, they cancel your coverage.

If you don't inform them that you left and continue to pop back and use a health card that you should have lost the coverage on, it would be considered health care fraud.

Similar if you register for health care, get coverage and then leave without ever meeting the eligibility requirements, they can back charge you. They may not bother to do that if you only went to the doctor once and it didn't cost them too much but having a baby on health care is serious money so it's worth their while.

Aside from back charging, I have also heard about a case in Quebec where they refused to cover the birth of a 2nd child based on the mother not staying in Quebec after the first child. Quebec has a waiting period but they have exceptions on it for pregnancy and childbirth. The person had landed in Quebec, had one child, then left. They came back to do this a 2nd time and Quebec refused to pay.

In any case, the lesson is be careful, do everything according to the book. If you are not sure, talk to your provincial health care to find out.

 

[smk_ujs]

@Leon,

Yes but how am I not meeting eligibility criteria. I am living from Jan 1st 2017 - July 1st 2017 which is 6 months in a calendar year and I am paying premium for each of those 6 months. Since I am moving in Dec 2016, I am also fulfilling the wait period to start being eligible for coverage in March 2017.


So by doing this, how am I breaking the rules?