OHIP question

[shannon388]

Hello,

My mother will come in Canada in March. I'd have some questions about OHIP:

• When to apply? From what I understood one has to stay 153 in the first 183 days in Ontario. Can she apply, for example on day 1, if she plans 153 days in the next 183 days?
• What happens if one stays outside Ontario for more than 212 days in a year? Does one have to "requalify" by staying 153 in 183 days? Also, in this case, does one need to reapply for OHIP card even if it is not expired?
• Also the OHIP section "Away for more than 7 months" (https://www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada) is a bit confusing to me: does it say that one can have OHIP coverage (up to 2 years) if away for more than 7 months in a year provided has OHIP card, has an Ontario primary residence, and stayed in Ontario for more than 153 days in each of the previous 2 years? Doesn't this "go against" the minimum 153 days in a year?

Thanks!

 

[canuck78]

Hello,

My mother will come in Canada in March. I'd have some questions about OHIP:

• When to apply? From what I understood one has to stay 153 in the first 183 days in Ontario. Can she apply, for example on day 1, if she plans 153 days in the next 183 days?
• What happens if one stays outside Ontario for more than 212 days in a year? Does one have to "requalify" by staying 153 in 183 days? Also, in this case, does one need to reapply for OHIP card even if it is not expired?
• Also the OHIP section "Away for more than 7 months" (https://www.ontario.ca/page/ohip-coverage-while-outside-canada) is a bit confusing to me: does it say that one can have OHIP coverage (up to 2 years) if away for more than 7 months in a year provided has OHIP card, has an Ontario primary residence, and stayed in Ontario for more than 153 days in each of the previous 2 years? Doesn't this "go against" the minimum 153 days in a year?

Thanks!

Is your mother planning on being in Canada over 6 months in the first year? Making Ontario her permanent home on documents? Will she be in Ontario for the first 5 out of 6 months? If she doesn’t plan on meeting the residency requirements she should not apply for OHIP because that would be OHIP fraud.


If she is compliant with her residency requirements for the first year she can be out of Canada for 212 the next year and still use OHIP before and after she leaves. If she stays out of Canada over 212 the 2nd year she shouldn‘t use OHIP that year and will need to reapply when returning. A valid OHIP card is only valid if you also meet the residency requirement. Currently the 3 month waiting period has been waived but it will return. She will have to reapply and wait the 3 months again if she doesn’t meet the RO to qualify for healthcare. She will have to meet the year 1 residency requirements again to qualify for OHIP and be in Ontario for the first 5 out of 6 months and 6 out of 12 months. She should take out private insurance for the 3 months if she doesn’t have OHIP for the first 3 months.

It is all explained in the link you attached but if you are compliant for 2 years you can leave Canada for the next two years and still return and have coverage. This is really meant for longterm Ontario residents that go away for 2 years for a sabbatical, a short term job, etc. but then will return to living in Ontario full-time. When you return you don’t have to start from scratch and meet the year 1 residency requirements, wait 3 months to qualify for OHIP coverage when the 3 month wait returns.

 

[shannon388]

Is your mother planning on being in Canada over 6 months in the first year? Making Ontario her permanent home on documents? Will she be in Ontario for the first 5 out of 6 months? If she doesn’t plan on meeting the residency requirements she should not apply for OHIP because that would be OHIP fraud.


If she is compliant with her residency requirements for the first year she can be out of Canada for 212 the next year and still use OHIP before and after she leaves. If she stays out of Canada over 212 the 2nd year she shouldn‘t use OHIP that year and will need to reapply when returning. A valid OHIP card is only valid if you also meet the residency requirement. Currently the 3 month waiting period has been waived but it will return. She will have to reapply and wait the 3 months again if she doesn’t meet the RO to qualify for healthcare. She will have to meet the year 1 residency requirements again to qualify for OHIP and be in Ontario for the first 5 out of 6 months and 6 out of 12 months. She should take out private insurance for the 3 months if she doesn’t have OHIP for the first 3 months.

It is all explained in the link you attached but if you are compliant for 2 years you can leave Canada for the next two years and still return and have coverage. This is really meant for longterm Ontario residents that go away for 2 years for a sabbatical, a short term job, etc. but then will return to living in Ontario full-time. When you return you don’t have to start from scratch and meet the year 1 residency requirements, wait 3 months to qualify for OHIP coverage when the 3 month wait returns.

Thanks a lot!