Pregnant and Uninsured, what are my options?

[Becki567]

Well your health insurance for you and your two children is being supported by tax payers, including my husband and in-laws. Your grant still comes from tax money. Where do you think the government gets the grant money from? My husband is a taxpayer and you once were, so don't get up here talking about freeloading and taking your tax dollars that you don't currently contribute. And deciding to proceed with my application without changing my name has no bearing on my current situation. You can continue to spout your theory on why insurance companies shouldn't sell coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, but they do. Clearly you know not of what you speak so quit while you are ahead. You remind of those backwards red states folks in my country who like to vote against social service programs that they benefit from (in your case government grants, free health insurance) because they are worried about "freeloaders." In hindsight I would have filed outland, but still that would mean no healthcare in Canada for this pregnancy. I can't speak for other provinces, but Ontario is recognizing that not offering health care to pregnant women to non-status immigrant women is a public health concern.

http://www.ryerson.ca/news/news/Research_News/20120330_handa.html

http://www.cfp.ca/content/58/7/725.full

http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/health-headlines/uninsured-refugees-denied-basic-health-care-in-canada-doctors-1.1336972

Honey, if you don't believe that I, as a Canadian born citizen who has contributed to taxes and my husband also does, does not deserve health care because I am in school but you who has not contributed one penny of your own deserves to have Canada pay for your delivery bill. Which YOU stated could be 700k... Then you are smoking some good drugs.

I am going to bed, I wish you a healthy pregnancy and delivery.. On your side of the border with the insurance you have actually contributed to.

 

[jomz]

I get prepaid each semester so every September 1st and January 1st I will be sure to thank you silently in my head. I am so happy you are supporting me. I am totally going for my MBA now so you can support me for another 2 years. ;D ;D ;D

I have been very compassionate to some members of the board... Just not the whiny entitled ones that want Canada to be responsible for an apparently 700k delivery bill. (but that amount seems astronomical so I am sure that is not accurate)

Good for you. Good luck with your MBA.

700K is not astronomical if the baby was in the neonatal unit if born before term. This is the overinflated cost canadian hospitals pass onto the government to pay.

 

[Becki567]

Good for you. Good luck with your MBA.

700K is not astronomical if the baby was in the neonatal unit if born before term. This is the overinflated cost canadian hospitals pass onto the government to pay.

I REALLY am going to bed after this.

But for real, you honestly support a visitor to Canada (because that is what she is) that contributes nothing to our healthcare system having her baby in Canada to the potential tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars just so she doesn't have to drive 2 hours to where she does have insurance coverage and restart a 3 week old sponsor application?

 

[jomz]

MrsMal it's been a sad day and unfortunately we are powerless in trying to have others recognize the basics required to form healthy relationship and a healthy society. If she is happy teaching her kids hatred, that's her prerogative. In the end there is a higher power, one God who sees all, and one day will judge accordingly.

But I am glad we had the opportunity to meet in this forum. Wishing you all that's best, much happiness and good health.

 

[jomz]

I REALLY am going to bed after this.

But for real, you honestly support a visitor to Canada (because that is what she is) that contributes nothing to our healthcare system having her baby in Canada to the potential tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars just so she doesn't have to drive 2 hours to where she does have insurance coverage and restart a 3 week old sponsor application?

Becki, what if she was an unemployed PR who just landed and is pregnant? And never contributed a cent to the system. Do you see what I mean, she is not really just a "visitor" Her husband is Canadian, he is working and paying taxes, this is also his baby, and maybe should be covered by and extension of her husband's coverage.

This is why in Alberta if her husband was a resident here, she would be fully covered as soon as she files an application, inland or outland. OHIP has its own rules

 

[MrsMal]

Honey, if you don't believe that I, as a Canadian born citizen who has contributed to taxes and my husband also does, does not deserve health care because I am in school but you who has not contributed one penny of your own deserves to have Canada pay for your delivery bill. Which YOU stated could be 700k... Then you are smoking some good drugs.

I am going to bed, I wish you a healthy pregnancy and delivery.. On your side of the border with the insurance you have actually contributed to.

I REALLY am going to bed after this.

But for real, you honestly support a visitor to Canada (because that is what she is) that contributes nothing to our healthcare system having her baby in Canada to the potential tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars just so she doesn't have to drive 2 hours to where she does have insurance coverage and restart a 3 week old sponsor application?

Are you sure you are a mother? Seriously would you have driven 2 hours and across a border while in labor with your children? Wouldn't you have been afraid of their well being. What kind of heartless woman are you? By the way 1 million was because of a premature birth and neo-natal treatment which I hope to not need. But regardless any woman would want to be near a doctor and health facility when they are expecting.

It kills me how you are quick to point out how you earned your healthcare and grant through contribution over the years, but my husband's years of work mean nothing I suppose. This isn't just my child, this is our child and his unborn child should not be left to fend for his/herself all while he is paying a big chunk of change into the system every week. You are a hypocrite, because your benefits are earned, but other who contribute just as much if not more are entitled. I have a right to be frustrated. My husband works hard and pays his share, but his baby will likely be born in another country. I have now read about many women in my situation who have little choice but return to their home country since Canada offers few options.

Yes I expected more from Canada or should I say Ontario because this is a country that thought enough of its citizens to come up with universal healthcare. When you consider that the U.S. with its archaic health system provides prenatal and delivery on the country's dime to uninsured pregnant women, this is unbelievable

 

[MrsMal]

MrsMal it's been a sad day and unfortunately we are powerless in trying to have others recognize the basics required to form healthy relationship and a healthy society. If she is happy teaching her kids hatred, that's her prerogative. In the end there is a higher power, one God who sees all, and one day will judge accordingly.

But I am glad we had the opportunity to meet in this forum. Wishing you all that's best, much happiness and good health.

Thank you, I really appreciate that.

 

[gango girl]

Becki, what if she was an unemployed PR who just landed and is pregnant? And never contributed a cent to the system. Do you see what I mean, she is not really just a "visitor" Her husband is Canadian, he is working and paying taxes, this is also his baby, and maybe should be covered by and extension of her husband's coverage.

This is why in Alberta if her husband was a resident here, she would be fully covered as soon as she files an application, inland or outland. OHIP has its own rules

you are so correct and i agree with you. husband pays the taxes and he'll never get pregnant right?
so, why they cant do this for a person who really needs a help in this situation?
specially to a pregnant woman. so, there should be some flexible rules for special needy people
what ever MrsMal you'll have a good solution and wish you'll to have healthy baby and dont get much stress on this. because you need your baby. and also many people can tell this and that but the person has the wound only knows how much it pains. so, dont worry god bless you'll and good luck

 

[Avadava]

Your situation is unfortunately a bit complicated. I'm not taking any sides, because I know first hand that no matter how good a country is, each one has good things and bad things. I have lived in several countries, and I always find myself comparing. I compare prices, health benefits, customer service, etc. I can never say that one country is better than the other, because there are things I like and things I don't.

Going back to your situation, I think the best thing for you right now is to withdraw your inland application. All your fees will be returned to you, together with your application package. What you need to do next, is to fill out the forms again and apply outland (make sure you download the form for outland sponsorship - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp#immigrate )

This way, you can deliver the baby in the States when the time comes, and also cross the border between Canada and US for regular check ups with your doctor. Should you wish to maintain your visitor status is Canada, you can do so. Filing an outland application, gives you the right to go outside Canada any time you want. You can also renew your visitor status every six months.

If you want to wait out the process in the States, an outland application is also best for this situation. The processing times for US citizens who file an outland application is 15 months, and it will be processed at the Ottawa Case Processing Pilot. The initial office for the sponsor approval will be CPC-M in Mississauga, and the processing takes 34 days.

I wish you good luck with your pregnancy and with your application, should you wish to go through with it and become a Permanent Resident of Canada.

 

[automaton82]

Your situation is unfortunately a bit complicated. I'm not taking any sides, because I know first hand that no matter how good a country is, each one has good things and bad things. I have lived in several countries, and I always find myself comparing. I compare prices, health benefits, customer service, etc. I can never say that one country is better than the other, because there are things I like and things I don't.

Going back to your situation, I think the best thing for you right now is to withdraw your inland application. All your fees will be returned to you, together with your application package. What you need to do next, is to fill out the forms again and apply outland (make sure you download the form for outland sponsorship - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/fc.asp#immigrate )

This way, you can deliver the baby in the States when the time comes, and also cross the border between Canada and US for regular check ups with your doctor. Should you wish to maintain your visitor status is Canada, you can do so. Filing an outland application, gives you the right to go outside Canada any time you want. You can also renew your visitor status every six months.

If you want to wait out the process in the States, an outland application is also best for this situation. The processing times for US citizens who file an outland application is 15 months, and it will be processed at the Ottawa Case Processing Pilot. The initial office for the sponsor approval will be CPC-M in Mississauga, and the processing takes 34 days.

I wish you good luck with your pregnancy and with your application, should you wish to go through with it and become a Permanent Resident of Canada.

I agree with this. Regardless of whether or not you agree that OHIP should be endowed in this situation, the fact remains the gov't won't give it to her, and as noted in previous posts, she won't be able to get insurance now. The only option (aside from paying cash) is to deliver in the USA. There's no other option in this case.

 

[canvis2006]

First of all I have worked and contributed to MY country for 17 years. After starting a business with my ex-husband (you know stimulating the economy and hiring Canadian workers), I stayed at home to raise my two children. I never took one bit of welfare because our business supported us just fine. When we got divorced I sold my share of then company, and lived off that for another two years until my youngest started school and I decided to go back to school and finish my Degree.

FYI- any student in Canada that has children under the age of 12 receives a $200 per month (during a semester) government grant. A grant is not welfare and I am fairly certain 17 years of taxes which included 11 years of business taxes (much higher) allow me as a born Canadian Citizen to a little government grant that is used to encourage people to continue their education even with children. You my dear are not paying for my schooling.

As for being lazy, I have two active children and go to school full time, I hardly have the time to be lazy.

Now since you enjoyed searching my previous posts perhaps you should search the OPs.

She was advised not to file her application until her passport name was updated to match her documents, she was advised she may not be able to travel back and forth and she sent in her application 3 weeks ago. She is hardly been waiting too long to switch to Outland.

And to the OP Canada does not sell private insurance because we have universal healthcare. If we did, pregnancy would be a pre-existing condition. I have no idea how much it costs to deliver a baby in a hospital but I imagine it is thousands. You really think an insurance company would sell you a policy for a few hundred bucks a month just to have to shell out thousands in 9 months time? That makes ZERO business sense and insurance agencies are businesses.

People on this board have listed pretty clearly your options. So put on your big girl panties and pick one. And next time do a little more research. If you had listened to the people who suggested you wait on your application a month ago you would not be in this position. If you don't want to pay for your baby delivery then file an Outland application. You've lost 3 weeks processing time and that will be well made up with a faster Outland application. Outland doesn't mean you can't come back to Canada, you simply don't risk having your application cancelled 9 months down the road

You don't own this country.

Probably the only thing you own is your house, if it's paid off, lol.

I strongly suggest that you don't judge others, you're not GOD. Careful what you say, cuz what goes around will come around.

Better to be humble and be nice to others who are in difficulty. Don't be so rigid.

And please get rid of that entitlement attitude.

 

[screech339]

If the OP does decided to keep the inland and delivered the baby in US, she cannot bring the baby back into Canada until she gets the baby's birth certificate. She would be stuck in US until she gets the certificate and be at risk of losing her application since she wasn't "living" with her husband. Unless she got relatives to leave the baby in the US that she can leave the baby at until the certificate arrives while she stays in Canada.

 

[Rob_TO]

This process is just ridiculous.

On a general note, Canada offers more in terms of social services and healthcare than the US does, paid for by the higher taxes Canadians pay. So it makes sense that the process to immigrate to Canada, would be a bit tougher than it is to the US.

 

[on-hold]

On a general note, Canada offers more in terms of social services and healthcare than the US does, paid for by the higher taxes Canadians pay. So it makes sense that the process to immigrate to Canada, would be a bit tougher than it is to the US.

It would make sense, but it's not true -- the process in the United States is ridiculous, and is complicated by the fact that Immigration there has a horror of people coming on on a visitor status and then applying for a green card from within; Americans who are married to foreigners learn about this all the time, when their spouses want to come in for a family vacation, Christmas, or a funeral and get grilled or turned back because they look like they're 'preparing to stay' or just because the border guard hates the idea of a family being together for the several years that it can take a green card application to go through. What the OP has been doing, paying for insurance in the States and popping back and forth across the border to save money shopping while living in Canada would be a lot less doable if she was going the other way. I don't even know what she's doing in Canada, since her husband recently received a green card, and he will lose it if he isn't residing in the United States -- it is not a permanent status, it is a right to reside and work there, and if you're not doing one of those two things, it will be taken away. Crossing the border to make sure you're IN the States before 6 months expire is not enough, that can be done for a bit but sooner or later some guard is going to ask him where he's living and how long that's been going on, and his green card will end then.

 

[on-hold]

And another delightful difference between the States and Canada . . . In Canada, when a visitor is given a 6-month stay in their passport, it is assumed that Canada is perfectly fine with them staying for 6 months. In other words, Canada is OK with that person coming and hanging out; my mother-in-law found this out, and was even told she could stay for a year if she got a TB test. Don't make this mistake in the U.S., where a 6-month visitor visa is not a 6 month visitor visa, it is a 6 month visitor visa. Visitors don't stay for 6 months, that looks a lot like living, not visiting, even if it's 'technically' legal -- people who do that end up with red flags on their passport files and even more border fun in the future.