Moving to Vancouver from US, wife is 30 weeks pregnant, lots of questions..

[will.lee.canadavisa]

Hi All,

I am moving to Vancouver from the US for work in about 2 weeks. My perspective employer provides an insurance plan by Great West Life. My wife is now 30Week0day pregnant. Our primary concern is to get an appointment with an OB doctor as soon as possible because we hear rumors that there is usually a long wait to see a doctor in CA. We are willing to pay extra for quality medical services.

1. Is it possible to schedule an appointment while we are in the US?
2. If #1 is not possible then after I get my insurance ID card, what's the best strategy to get an OB doctor as soon as possible?

Any comments or suggestion is highly appreciated.

Thanks!

Will

 

[canuck78]

I would suggest calling various OB offices to see whether they are willing to see you privately and what would they charge. You said your will have health coverage through your employer. In Canada that usually means drug, dental, vision, physio/chiro/massage/acupuncture not physician visit, hospital stays, tests/labs. If you wait until you get your provincial health coverage you can call and book an appointment in advance and explain the situation. It may a few phone calls to find someone. You also may want to look into getting a midwife since your coverage will only kick in very close to delivery. If you are concerned that your wife may deliver a bit early and you are concerned about having to pay for the cost of a hospital delivery a midwife will give you excellent care for a more reasonable price. Their services are in high demand so it maybe too late be accepted into a practice.

 

[Rob_TO]

Right, employer health benefits in Canada are very different from the US. Since there is a public health system run by the provinces, no employer health benefits will pay anything that the public system would usually cover. This includes items like doctor check-ups, emergency room visits, pregnancy related check-ups, ultrasounds, etc etc. Employer health benefits are only for things like prescription drugs, dental, vision, massages, chiropractor, etc.

Also in Canada there is no option to "pay extra for qualify service". Everyone in Canada get the same access to the same quality of healthcare, regardless if you're paying out of pocket or if you're covered under your provincial healthcare plan

In BC the provincial plan is MSP. You need to contact them to see if you (and your spouse/dependents) qualify for MSP coverage: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible
Other Individuals in B.C.
Certain other individuals, such as some holders of study and/or work permits, or working permits on working holiday programs — which are issued under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and are valid for a period of six or more months — may be deemed residents. Tourists or visitors to B.C. do not qualify.

Even if you and your wife do qualify for MSP, there is a waiting period of 2 - 3 months (remainder of month you arrive, + 2 additional months). So during this time, you need to pay for all OB costs for your spouse out of pocket.

 

[canuck78]

Realized when I did a little math that it is unlikely that you will only qualify for MSP after delivery. If you land in 2 weeks your wife will be 32 weeks and you apply right away (and you qualify) you will have to wait out the month of August plus two more months until you qualify which will bring you to Nov 1st.

 

[will.lee.canadavisa]

I would suggest calling various OB offices to see whether they are willing to see you privately and what would they charge. You said your will have health coverage through your employer. In Canada that usually means drug, dental, vision, physio/chiro/massage/acupuncture not physician visit, hospital stays, tests/labs. If you wait until you get your provincial health coverage you can call and book an appointment in advance and explain the situation. It may a few phone calls to find someone. You also may want to look into getting a midwife since your coverage will only kick in very close to delivery. If you are concerned that your wife may deliver a bit early and you are concerned about having to pay for the cost of a hospital delivery a midwife will give you excellent care for a more reasonable price. Their services are in high demand so it maybe too late be accepted into a practice.

Thank you for the suggestions. This is very important information. I will check with my HR and find out when the employer-provided insurance coverage will actually kick in and if it covers hospital visits.

https://www.welcomebc.ca/Work-or-Study-in-B-C/Work-in-B-C/Know-Your-Rights-as-a-Temporary-Foreign-Worker#anchor3
If your work permit limits you to a certain employer, including under the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program, your employer must provide you with health insurance during the wait period and enrol you in MSP. If you have an open work permit, you are responsible for enrolling yourself in MSP and arranging your own health insurance during the wait period.​

In Canada, do we have to see a family doctore before seeing an OB doctor? This affects how soon we can get to see an OB doctor.
What's a ballpark estimate for the cost of a hospital delivery? I want to be prepared financially just in case.

Thanks again for your reply.

Will

 

[will.lee.canadavisa]

Right, employer health benefits in Canada are very different from the US. Since there is a public health system run by the provinces, no employer health benefits will pay anything that the public system would usually cover. This includes items like doctor check-ups, emergency room visits, pregnancy related check-ups, ultrasounds, etc etc. Employer health benefits are only for things like prescription drugs, dental, vision, massages, chiropractor, etc.

Also in Canada there is no option to "pay extra for qualify service". Everyone in Canada get the same access to the same quality of healthcare, regardless if you're paying out of pocket or if you're covered under your provincial healthcare plan

In BC the provincial plan is MSP. You need to contact them to see if you (and your spouse/dependents) qualify for MSP coverage: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/are-you-eligible
Other Individuals in B.C.
Certain other individuals, such as some holders of study and/or work permits, or working permits on working holiday programs — which are issued under the federal Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and are valid for a period of six or more months — may be deemed residents. Tourists or visitors to B.C. do not qualify.

Even if you and your wife do qualify for MSP, there is a waiting period of 2 - 3 months (remainder of month you arrive, + 2 additional months). So during this time, you need to pay for all OB costs for your spouse out of pocket.

Thank you for the reply. I am shocked to know about the waiting period. That means for all new hires coming from outside Canada, they will have to pay for their doctor's visits during first 2-3 months. I will definitely need to discuss this with HR tomorrow.

-Will

 

[canuck78]

Pregnancy is often an exclusion to these requirements and technically you are employed not your wife. I would call the hospital but I have heard that an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is around 10K. I am from Ontario so I am not sure whether you need a referral from a GP. There is some variability between the provinces. I would call an OB office.

 

[canuck78]

The majority of new immigrants, returning canadians, new hires either cross their fingers or get temporary insurance coverage. There are a few provinces with no wait times and others that have 3 month wait times like Ontario. In all cases you must remain in the province for around 6 months so people don't take abuse the system. As I mentioned before the fact that your wife is not the one employed may be an issue.

 

[Rob_TO]

Pregnancy is often an exclusion to these requirements and technically you are employed not your wife. I would call the hospital but I have heard that an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is around 10K. I am from Ontario so I am not sure whether you need a referral from a GP. There is some variability between the provinces. I would call an OB office.

Actually most often there are NO exclusions, including pregnancy. As far as I know, Quebec is one of the only provinces that allows pregnancy related access to healthcare during the wait perioud.

MSP actually specifically mentions pregnancy in costs one should be aware of during the wait period, with no mention of exclusion. http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment/how-to-enrol/coverage-wait-period
Emergency Medical Care
A person can receive required medical and hospital services in B.C. before qualifying for provincial benefits. However, the entire cost of such services is payable by the person, unless other arrangements for health care insurance have been made. As costs may be very high, those who plan to move to B.C. from outside Canada are strongly recommended to make arrangements for health insurance through a private company before arrival, and to maintain that insurance until provincial benefits are available. Of note, private insurance companies have an almost universal policy of not covering pre-existing conditions, including pregnancy.
Appealing the Wait Period
Routine pre-natal care and the routine birth of a baby do not generally qualify a person for a waiver.

 

[will.lee.canadavisa]

Pregnancy is often an exclusion to these requirements and technically you are employed not your wife. I would call the hospital but I have heard that an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is around 10K. I am from Ontario so I am not sure whether you need a referral from a GP. There is some variability between the provinces. I would call an OB office.

Again, thanks for the info!

 

[canuck78]

Sorry must not have been clear. Meant pregnancy is often an exclusion for private insurance.

 

[Rob_TO]

As I mentioned before the fact that your wife is not the one employed may be an issue.

As long as he qualifies for coverage, then his dependents/spouse are also covered by MSP.

Dependents
Dependents of MSP beneficiaries are also eligible for coverage if they are B.C. residents as set out above. Dependents include a spouse, children and dependent post-secondary students.

Spouse: A resident of B.C. who is married to or is living and cohabiting in a marriage-like relationship with the applicant.

But yes the private insurance his employer would need to provide during wait perioud, may not apply to spouse/dependents. Plus it would most likely exclude pre-existing conditions like pregnancy.

 

[canuck78]

Sorry Rob I was also referring to the wife might not being covered by the temporary private insurance or the law in BC that closed work permit holders must be given temporary coverage from their employer until they get MSP.

 

[canuck78]

Hope things work out!

 

[will.lee.canadavisa]

If I pay the full cost of delivery, can I get part of the money back in tax return?