Pregnant and Uninsured, what are my options?

[margobear96]

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

Actually, this part is probably incorrect. If OHIP is like MSP in BC (both have wait periods), the baby will be covered under your husband's account as soon as he/she is born. So any NICU, pediatric whatevers will be covered. Any out-of-pocket bill should not be anything close to $1M. It's your maternity care (and delivery) that isn't and won't be covered. (Canada doesn't have quite the levels of fetus worship present in some parts of the US.)

Honestly, you should maybe talk to hospitals/OBs in Toronto to see how much they'd charge you out-of-pocket for delivery and prenatal visits and compare to what you're paying for insurance.... I was uninsured when I had twins. (I knew I wouldn't be covered, was sure my kids would be, and had funds saved accordingly.) The hospital had a fee schedule for returning residents (i.e., people caught in the 3 month waiting period) that was much lower than what they charge non-resident visitors walking in off the street. That's what they charged me though I didn't really fit. My prenatal appts, emergency c-section (severe pre-e) and related hospital costs in total were less than what I would have paid for COBRA (for the benefit of Canadians - it's much more expensive than regular employer provided insurance for people in between jobs) for that period of time.

Regardless, you should withdraw the Inland application and apply Outland. There's just no good reason for a US passport holder to apply Inland. It's likely that your Outland application will be done (6 months for me) before your first stage/OWP is approved for an Inland application.

 

[screech339]

I may be wrong here. The baby medical care does not go to the father's medical benefit. The default is the mother's. Any medical requirement the baby needs falls under the mother medical status.

Mind you I never had the baby in Canada but in US. I suspects Canada follows the same requirement. The kids I had were put under the mother's medical expenses for first 2-4 weeks. After that if the baby is not added to the insurance policy as dependent the cost will not be covered by insurance until the next calendar year. I know I am comparing US health system to Canada, I would think Canada follow similar procedure of coverage.

 

[margobear96]

I may be wrong here. The baby medical care does not go to the father's medical benefit. The default is the mother's. Any medical requirement the baby needs falls under the mother medical status.

Mind you I never had the baby in Canada but in US. I suspects Canada follows the same requirement. The kids I had were put under the mother's medical expenses for first 2-4 weeks. After that if the baby is not added to the insurance policy as dependent the cost will not be covered by insurance until the next calendar year. I know I am comparing US health system to Canada, I would think Canada follow similar procedure of coverage.

I had my kids in BC. Yes, the default is the mother's MSP - enrollment is set up that way by default. However, I was not covered by MSP, so we did the additional paperwork to add them to my husband's account - covered as of their birthdate. Think of it this way. Without the ability to override the default, the Canadian-born child of a Canadian-born crack whore mother would be covered on day one, but the Canadian-born child of a Canadian-born taxpayer would be left out in the cold (for 3 months until baby's individual coverage kicked in?). I'm a corporate lawyer by training, but if that were the case, I could successfully litigate it with my eyes shut. (As I had to tell their pediatrician in the hospital, who insisted several times that they weren't covered. Idiot. Dude still pisses me off.)

 

[screech339]

I had my kids in BC. Yes, the default is the mother's MSP - enrollment is set up that way by default. However, I was not covered by MSP, so we did the additional paperwork to add them to my husband's account - covered as of their birthdate. Think of it this way. Without the ability to override the default, the Canadian-born child of a Canadian-born crack whore mother would be covered on day one, but the Canadian-born child of a Canadian-born taxpayer would be left out in the cold (for 3 months until baby's individual coverage kicked in?). I'm a corporate lawyer by training, but if that were the case, I could successfully litigate it with my eyes shut. (As I had to tell their pediatrician in the hospital, who insisted several times that they weren't covered. Idiot. Dude still pisses me off.)

First of all, the first 3 months would probably fall under the mother's default coverage until the baby gets his/her own. This would close any issues in coverage and baby would not be in limbo. Again this is provincial rules that I may not be aware of.

Screech339

 

[screech339]

I had my kids in BC. Yes, the default is the mother's MSP - enrollment is set up that way by default. However, I was not covered by MSP, so we did the additional paperwork to add them to my husband's account - covered as of their birthdate. Think of it this way. Without the ability to override the default, the Canadian-born child of a Canadian-born crack whore mother would be covered on day one, but the Canadian-born child of a Canadian-born taxpayer would be left out in the cold (for 3 months until baby's individual coverage kicked in?). I'm a corporate lawyer by training, but if that were the case, I could successfully litigate it with my eyes shut. (As I had to tell their pediatrician in the hospital, who insisted several times that they weren't covered. Idiot. Dude still pisses me off.)

I think you may lose the litigation as I am sure this was done before.

 

[margobear96]

First of all, the first 3 months would probably fall under the mother's default coverage until the baby gets his/her own. This would close any issues in coverage and baby would not be in limbo. Again this is provincial rules that I may not be aware of.

Screech339

Yes, but situation is that the mother has no coverage of her own. Anyway, I'm not talking hypothetically. My kids actually were covered starting from date of birth under my husbands MSP -- whether the first 3 months were technically my husband's account or their own is not relevant to me. (They weren't in NICU, but a lower level nursery at the hospital for a few weeks after they were born so they were using medical services during that time.)

 

[margobear96]

I think you may lose the litigation as I am sure this was done before.

Actually, it's moot, because I was right in the first place. My kids were covered. Again, this is not a hypothetical. This was my real situation, and I was able to sign my kids up under my husband's MSP when I was an uninsured "visitor" from the US.

 

[screech339]

Actually, it's moot, because I was right in the first place. My kids were covered. Again, this is not a hypothetical. This was my real situation, and I was able to sign my kids up under my husband's MSP when I was an uninsured "visitor" from the US.

Since health coverage falls under provincial jurisdiction, each provinces has it own rules in qualifications. Being able to have the newborns under the father's coverage will work in BC as you have demonstrated. But what about Ontario where the OP lives? Does Ontario OHIP allow this? That I can't say as I haven't been in this situation nor have I seen news / words that the newborn can get on father's OHIP coverage. If the mother does not have coverage in Ontario.

Screech339

 

[screech339]

Been doing a bit if reading on OHIP coverage for newborns, they will get immediate coverage if the baby was born in ontario since the baby will be deemed Canadian citizen on the condition that they provide proof that they a primary residence in Ontario.

This would explain why the Australia couple ended up with a $1 million bill despite the baby being Canadian. The couple had no primary residency in Ontario or Canada for that matter. Thus the baby did not qualify for OHIP. The couple ended up with the full medical bill for their newborn.

That all being said, the OP would only be responsible for cost of the medical delivery if OP chooses to have the baby in Ontario. Not for any newborn complications as cost would fall under the newborn OHIP coverage.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

This would explain why the Australia couple ended up with a $1 million bill despite the baby being Canadian. The couple had no primary residency in Ontario or Canada for that matter. Thus the baby did not qualify for OHIP. The couple ended up with the full medical bill for their newborn.

That case was in BC.

 

[screech339]

That case was in BC.

You are correct. It was in BC. I wondered if the doctor who gave them the green light to travel at their borderline 3rd trimester have any regrets. Bet he won't be making the same mistake.