Health Insurance to Cover Delivery?

[MacnCheese]

I thought I'd see if anyone knows which insurance companies offer insurance for returning Canadian citizens that covers pregnancy and delivery. I'm not yet pregnant, but hope to be soon. I am a Canadian citizen, but have been living outside Canada for almost 10 years. My husband and I are just applying for his spouse visa and living overseas until about May 2016 (or whenever his visa is approved and CIC tells us we have to land). We are also living in a country where neither of us are citizens as he's on a contract for work.

We are thinking it would be best for our baby to be born in Canada (especially for citizenship for their kids), and I understand if I want to be covered under insurance for delivery, I need to organise it before I get pregnant. I'd be moving back to Ontario, so would have to wait 3 months for OHIP to kick in. Not knowing when his visa would be approved, we figure getting the insurance would be our best option to avoid a potentially hefty hospital bill if things get complicated. I know I can go through a midwife, but understand they are very hard to come-by in the Toronto area and you need to sign up straight away.

Can someone please shed some light on to which insurance companies would offer delivery and what sort of package to look for? Or anyone with similar experience? And how long before you get pregnant do you need to have the insurance in place for it to be valid? I've seen a month before you get pregnant, but wonder what dates insurance companies would use.

Many thanks!

 

[Steevy]

There is a plan that will cover a Returning Canadian, who is not yet pregnant, for delivery and other associated procedures.

Just follow the link below and read about the plan. As you do not yet eligible to receive a provincial coverage, I assume it is the case you are seeking private Maternity Coverage, you will fall under a Visitors category by the insurance company. Just so you do not get confused.

Pregnancy Coverage

Hope it helps

 

[Rob_TO]

There is a plan that will cover a Returning Canadian, who is not yet pregnant, for delivery and other associated procedures.

Just follow the link below and read about the plan. As you do not yet eligible to receive a provincial coverage, I assume it is the case you are seeking private Maternity Coverage, you will fall under a Visitors category by the insurance company. Just so you do not get confused.

<a href=https://arbetovinsurance.com/pregnancy-coverage/>Pregnancy Coverage</a>

Hope it helps

Correct me if I'm wrong, but one important item to consider when purchasing this type of insurance in advance is to buy a contract that will definitely still be in force up to the actual delivery date. i.e if you buy a policy for 12 months... but don't get pregnant until 5 months later, then when policy expires and you are only 7 months pregnant, your final delivery costs will not be covered.

In my (limited) experience with travel/emergency insurance like this, is that when the policy expires all payments stop as of that date, even if you are currently in the middle of receiving treatment for something. So unless these pregnancy policies can be extended partway through, make sure to try and plan in advance as best you can.

 

[MacnCheese]

Thanks, this gives me a good start and I'll start investigating what is possible and what is not. It's tough being in this state of limbo with immigration and trying to start our family, so the last thing we want is to encounter problems with insurance.

 

[Steevy]

You do not buy a contract, all you need do in case you fall pregnant 3 or more months past the effective date, is to extend the policy duration before it expires.

 

[Petermiyuki]

Hi.

Please take a look at BIIS(Bridges International Insurance Services) website.
You can reach by Google with "BIIS" and "expatriate".

The page you'll see is about private health insurance plan for Canadians who live/work outside of Canada.
Insurance company is TIC(travel Insurance Coordinators).
This plan has maternity benefit which covers up to 80 % of the maternity costs.
Please note that the expected delivery date must be more than 10 months after the effective date.
You'll get covered even after you come back Canada (incl. 3 months while you wait for your OHIP coverage).
Check its policy document for details that is found on this website.
For more questions, please contact info@biis.ca. Thks.

 

[MacnCheese]

Hi.

Please take a look at BIIS(Bridges International Insurance Services) website.
You can reach by Google with "BIIS" and "expatriate".

The page you'll see is about private health insurance plan for Canadians who live/work outside of Canada.
Insurance company is TIC(travel Insurance Coordinators).
This plan has maternity benefit which covers up to 80 % of the maternity costs.
Please note that the expected delivery date must be more than 10 months after the effective date.
You'll get covered even after you come back Canada (incl. 3 months while you wait for your OHIP coverage).
Check its policy document for details that is found on this website.
For more questions, please contact info @ biis.ca. Thks.

That's great, I found the same insurance online. It's pretty disappointing there is only 1 insurer to cover situations like this.

 

[MacnCheese]

Has anyone actually used this insurance for maternity and delivery? Any feedback on the coverage or any problems you encountered using the insurance?

 

[goldenbrown]

Yes they will be able to extend even if you do get pregnant halfway through the year otherwise it would not make sense. Best of luck!