Medical Insurance for US Born Child

[scylla]

Question on this "a job with extended health care benefits won't be of any help in terms of covering your child's care before your child qualifies for provincial coverage". How does it work for visitors on work visas? Won't companies provide extended health care insurance for their employees and their dependents? If I am able to secure a job that provides medical insurance, won't my child be fully covered even is he has no provincial coverage?

No - that's not how it works for work permit holders.

Temporary work permit holder qualify for provincial health care coverage and this extends to any dependent children (i.e. the dependent chidren receive provincial health care coverage as well). The employer benefits would then sit on top of that. This would be after any waiting period (e.g. three months in Ontario).

Again, the employer benefits do not replace provincial coverage - they supplement it (i.e. cover things that the provincial health care coverage doesn't). This is why it's almost always requirement for beneficiaries to have provincial health care coverage in order to qualify for the company benefits. I went through this with my own husband when I sponsored him for PR. He could not benefit from the additional coverage provided by my company until he had PR.

 

[canuck78]

Yes, it is going to cost ~$500/month with $5000 deductible. I believe they will need all medical history with exact dates etc.

That is just an etimte. How much does your child's medical costs add up to in CAD over month if you count any mecation, doctors, regular therapies, etc. Both deductible and monthly fee could go up. Insurance is a business so I would assume the policy would be written in attempt not to pay routine car and only pay if there is something over and above routine car. Without an idea how sick your child and what kind of medical she/he is on it is hard to provide nore detailed info. I also see you mentionned diagnoaitc testing. Some of those are quite exoensive and Canadians whit a long time foe these tests even before covid. Your child will get priority behind Canadians.

 

[Jancy]

Our child was born in the US too after our soft landing and we moved to Canada when he was 1. It has been 5 months since we applied for his PR. My husband's employer gave us a provincial replacement plan to cover us until we got our provincial health care. We are still paying into it since our child still doesnt have ontario healthcare (OHIP). Let me tell you about my experience here. It is more complex than I thought to even get him vaccinated here. I was under an impression that if he doenst have OHIP, we will just show his private insurance and get him vaccinated. But a couple of clinics we went to, rejected us as the govt gives them vaccines to provide for children with OHIP or atleast a PR. Finally found a place that gives vaccines for cash. I donno how easy it would be to access more complex care, without OHIP. I would suggest one of you move here, process his PR and bring him here as a PR if you dont want disruptions in his routine doctor visits

 

[Jancy]

Question on this "a job with extended health care benefits won't be of any help in terms of covering your child's care before your child qualifies for provincial coverage". How does it work for visitors on work visas? Won't companies provide extended health care insurance for their employees and their dependents? If I am able to secure a job that provides medical insurance, won't my child be fully covered even is he has no provincial coverage?

In Canada, every eligible person is covered by the province they live in for doctor visits and hospitalizations. They dont conmver dental, vision and prescription drugs. That's where the employer insurance comes in to cover u for dental vision and drugs. So having just the employer plan wont help you with your regular doctor visits.

 

[canuck78]

In Canada, every eligible person is covered by the province they live in for doctor visits and hospitalizations. They dont conmver dental, vision and prescription drugs. That's where the employer insurance comes in to cover u for dental vision and drugs. So having just the employer plan wont help you with your regular doctor visits.

The issue is that not all jobs offer extended benefits. There is prescription coverage for some medicationa for thosw under 25 if they have OHIP. Every province has their own healthcare plans. Healthcare is only partially covered by the government. The rest if made up by personal payments and extended benefit plan from an employer if you are lucky to have one. There is also variability between the benefit plans. While in a hospital most things are covered, èxcept a private room, but in the community it is quite different.

 

[ca_hopeful]

Thanks everyone, looks like it is going to be very difficult to move to Canada in that case. I guess we should give up our PR because health care is of prime importance.

 

[canuck78]

Thanks everyone, looks like it is going to be very difficult to move to Canada in that case. I guess we should give up our PR because health care is of prime importance.

Unfortunately people in similar situations forget that if their child is born abroad and have demanding/expensive medical issues there will be a large period of time before they will have coverage. Some chose to send one parent to Canada to lessen the wait period but otherwise it can be very hard to return to Canada. You can renounce and reapply although your child will need to pass the excessive medical expense criteria. It is unclear what kind of need your child has a how expensive it is to treat.

 

[ca_hopeful]

Hi Everyone, Another question, if say we move to Canada with our child and one of us sponsors the child. Can the other parent and child leave Canada while the sponsoring parent stays in Canada?

Reason I ask is, for healthcare can I take my child to the US and make use of my employer provided insurance while his PR application is in process in Canada.

 

[walter_white]

Hi Everyone, Another question, if say we move to Canada with our child and one of us sponsors the child. Can the other parent and child leave Canada while the sponsoring parent stays in Canada?

Reason I ask is, for healthcare can I take my child to the US and make use of my employer provided insurance while his PR application is in process in Canada.

That can be done, but keep in mind that whoever stays outside Canada has to meet residency requirements to be able to maintain PR and eventually apply for citizenship.

 

[ca_hopeful]

That can be done, but keep in mind that whoever stays outside Canada has to meet residency requirements to be able to maintain PR and eventually apply for citizenship.

Thanks. Yes I'm thinking of the possibility of living in Canada close to the border and working/commuting to US on a daily basis. The main concern is while the other parent stays in Canada and sponsors our child, I will be commuting and taking my child once in a while for doctors appointments in the US(as my employer provided insurance works in the US)

Not sure, if border agents will have a problem with granting my child visitor entry every time he has to re-enter Canada.

Also, do you know if such travel(entering exiting) Canada/USA is now allowed in the current Covid environment.

 

[canuck78]

Thanks. Yes I'm thinking of the possibility of living in Canada close to the border and working/commuting to US on a daily basis. The main concern is while the other parent stays in Canada and sponsors our child, I will be commuting and taking my child once in a while for doctors appointments in the US(as my employer provided insurance works in the US)

Not sure, if border agents will have a problem with granting my child visitor entry every time he has to re-enter Canada.

Also, do you know if such travel(entering exiting) Canada/USA is now allowed in the current Covid environment.

Not really advisable for visitors to cross the border during sponsorship but it will likely be overlooked for a child. The only thing is that if you move going to the doctor regularly in the US may not be considered essential travel. Would your work be considered as an essential service? That could cause problems for you if you cross daily.

 

[ca_hopeful]

Not really advisable for visitors to cross the border during sponsorship but it will likely be overlooked for a child. The only thing is that if you move going to the doctor regularly in the US may not be considered essential travel. Would your work be considered as an essential service? That could cause problems for you if you cross daily.

I don't think my work would be considered essential. But I'm planning on making the move later this year so hopefully the restrictions might reduce. Glad to know I can make this work from a border crossing standpoint.

 

[canuck78]

I don't think my work would be considered essential. But I'm planning on making the move later this year so hopefully the restrictions might reduce. Glad to know I can make this work from a border crossing standpoint.

Wouldn’t unfortunately count on restrictions being lifted but I guess we can all hope.

 

[ca_hopeful]

Wouldn’t unfortunately count on restrictions being refused but I guess we can all hope.

Yes totally agree with you on that