pregnancy and health card in alberta

[sharmausct]

My wife is pregnant and we are landing one month before her due date.but i think that delivery may happen after 15 days of landing.

according to AHCIP site (Alberta health card), we need following docs:
1. Alberta residencyutility bills/bank statement/lease agreement)
2. Government issued photo identificationCanadian/Non-Canadian passport)
3. Legal entitlement to be in CanadaPermanent Resident Card/Canada entry document(work/study/visitor permit)

doc 2: I have my Indian passport.
for doc 3:is it compulsory to have PR card as it takes 6-8 weeks to get.what is Canada entry document?is it COPR?if it is COPR then why they have written (work/study/visitor permit)?
for doc 3:I don't have any address in Alberta.after landing even if i get rental flat in 7-10 days, i don't know how much time will it take for rent agreement.bank statement:i guess bank statement takes one month to come, also you need address for bank statement which i don't have.

i want to know that will pregnancy be free of charge or initially i will have to pay and then get reimbursement?considering time for arrangement of these docs and 5 days Processing time, will i be able to get health card within 15 days, as i dont want to go for reimbursement...

also it is written on site that Midwifery is not covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.so does that mean pregnency is not covered at all?

also i am planning to come back after one month of child birth....so will alberta health system allow me to come back as 6 month stay in one year will not be fulfilled...will they charge me back if i come back after one month/

 

[Leon]

AB health care is for residents of AB so in order to be eligible, you have to make your home in AB for at least 6 months a year. If you stay for a month, leave for less than 6 months and then come back for another 5 months, you have met this requirement and there will be no risk to you.

If you leave after a month and do not come back to AB, it is possible that they back charge you as they may feel that you were never eligible for their health care in the first place. And they could request that you re-pay what they covered for you.

Here is AB health clause on eligibility:

An eligible resident of Alberta is a person who is:

1.Legally entitled to be or to remain in Canada and makes his/her permanent home in Alberta;
2.Committed to being physically present in Alberta for at least 183 days in a 12 month period;
3.Not claiming residency or obtaining benefits under a claim of residency in another province, territory or country;
4.Any other person deemed by the regulations to be a resident not including a tourist, transient or visitor to Alberta.

Pregnancy is covered under AB health. It may be a bit difficult to find an OB/gyn for your wife with such short notice but if you show up at a hospital to have a baby, you will be treated and it will be covered.

As for documents, you can show your COPR for 3. and for 1. you can ask the bank to print you out a statement immediately showing the AB address you gave them which could be a motel for all they care. You can change your address with the bank and health care later when you have an apartment.

You should be able to apply for your health card and if you haven't got the card yet when you need it, you can call health care and get the number that you can give at the hospital.

 

[talegend]

Dear Leon and All the great Advisors:

I was searching the site for a case like mine and this thread was the closest to my case.
I landed last year , my wife and daughter applied for health cards and received them and they used it for only two times for consultancy only.
they supposed to stay there for 6 months at least , but for some reasons they left after 70 days and we will all be back after one year of that incident, so i'm not eligible for Alberta health card , what should i do to obey the law , apply again and tell them about it ? should i ask them to pay for the consultancy and apply again ? or just re-apply , keep using the current cards ......
and since there is no expiry date on the health card , do you have any idea about the validity of Alberta health card ?
if its for one year , is there any problem if i failed to renew it before the expiry date ?
best wishes for all
your reply is highly appreciated
Regards

 

[Leon]

In order to make sure that you have no problems with AB health in the future, you should inform when you left Canada and when you expect to be back.

It is your obligation in any province to let health care know if you are planning to leave the province for more than 6 months.

It is possible that AB health will not have a problem with it but it is still your duty to inform them.

AB health cards have no expiry date so you do not have to renew them. However, you do have the obligation of letting AB health know if you move outside the province.

Dear Leon and All the great Advisors:

I was searching the site for a case like mine and this thread was the closest to my case.
I landed last year , my wife and daughter applied for health cards and received them and they used it for only two times for consultancy only.
they supposed to stay there for 6 months at least , but for some reasons they left after 70 days and we will all be back after one year of that incident, so i'm not eligible for Alberta health card , what should i do to obey the law , apply again and tell them about it ? should i ask them to pay for the consultancy and apply again ? or just re-apply , keep using the current cards ......
and since there is no expiry date on the health card , do you have any idea about the validity of Alberta health card ?
if its for one year , is there any problem if i failed to renew it before the expiry date ?
best wishes for all
your reply is highly appreciated
Regards

 

[Lam Nguyet Thu]

Dear Mr. Leon,

We will arrive Alberta, Canada on 14 September 2014. At that time, I am six and haft months pregnant.

Could you please let me know whether the cost of giving birth in Alberta will be covered.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you.

Lam Nguyet Thu

 

[Leon]

Dear Mr. Leon,

We will arrive Alberta, Canada on 14 September 2014. At that time, I am six and haft months pregnant.

Could you please let me know whether the cost of giving birth in Alberta will be covered.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you.

Lam Nguyet Thu

I need more info. Are you landing as a PR or are you already a PR from some time ago and now returning? If it is the latter, in which province did you land, how long did you stay there and how long did you live outside Canada after that?

 

[Lam Nguyet Thu]

Dear Mr. Leon,
Thank you very much for your reply.
We will move to Canada with permenent residence visa. We have not ever gone to Canada. My family get the visa under prominee program.

Thank you and look forward to hearing from you

Lam Nguyet Thu

 

[Lam Nguyet Thu]

Dear Mr. Leon,

I got 01 mistake on typing the previous letter. That is " prominee program". The correct one is PNP.
With my plan, I am very worried about the cost of giving birth in Edmonton. If I give birth in my original country, cost will be covered because i have health insurance. I already read the website" Aberta health insurance plan", i find that the health insurance is valid on the first day of arrival( for person outside Canada with PR) but I am not sure that whether the health insurrance is applied for giving birth here.

Thank you and best regards,
Lam Nguyet Thu

 

[Leon]

Dear Mr. Leon,

I got 01 mistake on typing the previous letter. That is " prominee program". The correct one is PNP.
With my plan, I am very worried about the cost of giving birth in Edmonton. If I give birth in my original country, cost will be covered because i have health insurance. I already read the website" Aberta health insurance plan", i find that the health insurance is valid on the first day of arrival( for person outside Canada with PR) but I am not sure that whether the health insurrance is applied for giving birth here.

Thank you and best regards,
Lam Nguyet Thu

If you are landing as a PR, you will be covered in AB from day 1. You should go to a registry as soon as you can and register. You should have your health card in a few days. Childbirth is also covered under AB health.

You do not want to have the baby in your home country because your baby will not be a PR and it will cause you problems with your visa.

 

[Lam Nguyet Thu]

Dear Mr. Leon,
Thank you very much. I felt relieved after knowing the information.
I will fly to Canada before the deliverery to avoid the problem you mentioned.
Best regards,

Lam Nguyet Thu

 

[Lam Nguyet Thu]

Dear Mr. Leon,

I have just found on the website" health.alberta.ca" the information that " the midwifery is not covered by the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan but it is available through Alberta Health Services". This information is in " What is covered" item on the website. Does " midwifery" mean " give birth"?

I am confused on it. Could you help to show me the difference between " Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan " and " Alberta Health Services"?. What should I do in order to be covered the cost in hospital when i give birth?

Best regards,
Lam Nguyet Thu

 

[Leon]

Midwife = Lady who helps you give birth at home. If you choose this method, it may not be covered.

If you give birth at a hospital, it is covered.

 

[Lam Nguyet Thu]

Dear Mr. Leon,

It is clear now.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Lam Nguyet Thu

 

[Ahmed Reda]

If you are landing as a PR, you will be covered in AB from day 1. You should go to a registry as soon as you can and register. You should have your health card in a few days. Childbirth is also covered under AB health.

You do not want to have the baby in your home country because your baby will not be a PR and it will cause you problems with your visa.

Dear Mr. Leon and other friends,

Just a quick clarification regarding this subject, I have heard today from someone that to be covered for pregnancy operation fee in Alberta, my wife should be physically there for at least seven months! It seems for me a bit strange and would change all of my plan, if true?! Please advice. Appreciate your prompt response.

Thanks and best regards,
Ahmed Reda

 

[Leon]

Dear Mr. Leon and other friends,

Just a quick clarification regarding this subject, I have heard today from someone that to be covered for pregnancy operation fee in Alberta, my wife should be physically there for at least seven months! It seems for me a bit strange and would change all of my plan, if true?! Please advice. Appreciate your prompt response.

Thanks and best regards,
Ahmed Reda

It is not true that you must stay 7 months or any other length of time before getting coverage.

It is however a requirement to be residing in AB to be eligible for AB health care. If your wife comes to AB and claims to be settling in AB in order to get a health card, gets a health card, gives birth to your baby, AB health care pays but however, after the birth, your wife leaves AB and moves back home or to another province, she could possibly be on the hook for health care fraud. She could be asked to re-pay the expenses they covered for her.

In order to make sure that doesn't happen, she should stay in AB for at least 6 months. After 6 months, she has fulfilled the requirement that she was residing in AB for that year because in Canada, residing somewhere is defined as staying there more than 6 months a year.