health coverage of pregnant wife

[parassapra]

Hello Everyone,

Me and my wife have applied for PR through express entry and will be landing in Vancouver around end November.

While the application for Visa was put up and when her medical examination was conducted here in India my wife wasnt pregnant but now she is and by the time we land in canada , she will be around 3 months pregnant.

I want to understand if there is any way i can get healthcare benifits through MSP or any other insurance for the delivery and other expenditures during the balance period of pregnancy (i.e. After we land till the time of delivery)

Thank you very much for your valuable advices in advance.

Regards

 

[canuck78]

There is an up to 3 month wait period to qualify for MSP so you and your wife will only qualify for coverage starting February 1st if you arrive in November. You will have to cover all the healthcare costs before then. You should purchase emergency coverage that include 1st and 2nd trimester just in case there is an emergency. It will not cover routine care and tests. If you plan on settling in BC you will qualify for coverage after that. Please read about residency requirements of MSP online. There are yearly residency requirements for all the provincial healthcare plans or you can be asked to reimburse the government.

 

[parassapra]

Thank you for your response Canuck78.

You mean to say that i will have to bear the cost of routine check up and emergencies if any (I pray there are none) till 1st Feb if I land in Nov ?

Also you said that " If you plan on settling in BC you will qualify for coverage after that"
After What is my question.

Further suppose if we plan to move to Toronto at later stages for better jobs when can we move to avoid any issues with MSP rules and avoiding any cost repayment to government / MSP.

Further any idea what a routine checkup costs outside MSP coverage.

Regards
Paras Sapra

 

[canuck78]

Thank you for your response Canuck78.

You mean to say that i will have to bear the cost of routine check up and emergencies if any (I pray there are none) till 1st Feb if I land in Nov ?

Also you said that " If you plan on settling in BC you will qualify for coverage after that"
After What is my question.

Further suppose if we plan to move to Toronto at later stages for better jobs when can we move to avoid any issues with MSP rules and avoiding any cost repayment to government / MSP.

Further any idea what a routine checkup costs outside MSP coverage.

Regards
Paras Sapra

Yes you will have to pay for all routine pregnancy appointments until you get your MSP. I suggest you pay for emergency coverage so if there is an emergency you are covered for a much larger expense. Make sure it covers pregnancy emergencies in the 1st and 2nd trimester. Some policies don't. You have to remain in BC for over 6 months in order to meet the residency requirements and appear that you intend on settling in BC. It is all up to interpretation but if you stayed in temporary accommodations for 6 months and your husband started working in another province BC could make a case that you never planned to make your home in BC. Costs can vary by physician because cash fees aren't standardized. Also can be quite tough to find an OB in Vancouver and also one that takes cash due to issues with birth tourism. Make sure to specify that your wife is waiting out the MSP waiting period. If you are considering Ontario, the wait time for OHIP is a full 3 months.


Residents
A person must be a B.C. resident to qualify for medical coverage under MSP. A resident is a person who meets all of the following conditions:

• must be a citizen of Canada or be lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence;
• must make his or her home in B.C.; and
• must be physically present in B.C. at least six months in a calendar year, or a shorter prescribed period.*

* Eligible B.C. residents (citizens of Canada or persons who are lawfully admitted to Canada for permanent residence) who are outside B.C. for vacation purposes only, are allowed a total absence of up to seven months in a calendar year.