Moving from Alberta to Ontario, 3 months waiting period for OHIP

[Cath621]

Hello,

I'm currently studying in Alberta with study permit and health care card expiring by the end of August. Starting in Sept I will be studying at another university in Ontario so I am gonna renew my study permit, but with a different institution. So I am just wondering do I have to wait for 3 months to get the OHIP? Coz I have a 6-month kid as dependent and he might need to see a paediatrician regularly which I guess would cost A LOT. BTW, he was born in Canada so he's a citizen, but in Alberta he has to be a dependent of parents so his health care expires at the same time as mine.

One way I thought of is to renew my Alberta Health Care with the renewed SP. But it has an institution in Ontario so it is unlikely to work.

 

[spyfy]

Unlike Alberta, international students on a study permit are not eligible for provincial health insurance in Ontario (OHIP). Instead you are automatically enrolled in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) which offers the same services as UHIP (with some minor exceptions).

The coverage for UHIP begins on Sep 1 and ends at Aug 30, even if you graduate during the year. If you begin you studies in the Winter or Summer term, the details may vary, you have to check the website of your Ontario University. But in any case there is no waiting period.
For the University of Toronto this is the page (if you don't go to U of T, this is NOT the right page for you, you must check the appropriate website):
https://www.cie.utoronto.ca/Coming/UHIP.htm

 

[spyfy]

For your kid, since he's a citizen, you will have to enrol him for OHIP if I am not mistaken. But I have to admit that I don't know how the waiting period works. Normally, the rule is that during the first three months, you use your old province's insurance, but I am not sure how that will work if his health coverage expires with yours.

 

[Cath621]

@spyfy

Many thanks! This clarifies a lot to me. I checked the government's site and I think I can enroll my boy to OHIP. There does exist a 3-month waiting but now I think I can enroll him to UHIP as my dependent to cover the first 3 months, just having to pay some money. That's quite a relief. Maybe after he get OHIP I can even opt him out to get a partial refund.

 

[Leon]

You can check with AB health too if they will cover you or at least your child for the 3 month waiting period in Ontario. If you were a PR or a citizen who is moving, they would do that as a rule but since you are a student, you have to ask and find out.

 

[Bincanada]

I just learned a lot this week spending time in Toronto doing interviews. ServiceOntario is the office that handles all health, license, etc. issues. You can apply for OHIP immediately, you just need to read the ServiceOntario web site to show what documentation to bring. You are put in the system, then you automatically get a card mailed in 3 months.

Now, of course, you don't have to do this immediately. You will want to get a permanent address and ensure that's where you are going to be, otherwise it is more wise to wait and bring documentation of your permanent residence (not your PR card or CoPR, I mean your permanent residence documents for Ontario, such as a bank statement, etc). Then you'll get processed for OHIP.

 

[Cath621]

Hi guys, so here's some updates. We are still in Alberta now and I successfully renewed my Alberta Healthcare Card. The staff at registry said there was no restriction of where to reside on my new study permit though I have to enroll an institution in ON, so I qualify Alberta Healthcare til the expiration date of my new study permit (Sept 2020).