Quebec health insurance
- Thread starter svati
- Start date
There is a waiting period of 3 months for temporary work permit holders. For those 3 months, you should take private insurance.
Now getting a family doctor is a pain in Quebec unless you have good contacts in Quebec. Till you get a family doctor, you can go to CLSC or any hospitals for walkins, but be prepared to face huge wait times and you should also find an English speaking doctor if you don't know French. Many doctors here don't talk English properly. So conveying your symptoms can be a real problem with a doctor who partly speaks English. You don't want to be misdiagnosed due to communication problem.
As soon you get the Quebec health card, register here to get a GP assigned to you : http://www.gamf.gouv.qc.ca/index_en.html . Getting a GP thru this system is based on many parameters. I got mine within 90 days after registration.
> Are there any exceptions for pregnancy?
Yes, for pregnancy there is an exception.
Medical services covered during the waiting period eligibility
Generally speaking, if you arrive in Québec from outside Canada to settle in Québec, even if you are a Canadian citizen, you will be eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan after a waiting period of up to 3 months following your registration.
The Régie does not reimburse you for healthcare you receive during the waiting period. To save you from having to pay for any healthcare services that your family members may need, the Régie strongly recommends that you take out private insurance within 5 days following your arrival in Québec. Thereafter, coverage is more difficult to obtain. For information about private insurance, contact the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI).
Pending receipt of your Health Insurance Card , be sure to keep the letter indicating that you are subject to a waiting period, because some healthcare services are available free of charge to persons waiting for their coverage to take effect, such as services:
Generally speaking, if you arrive in Québec from outside Canada to settle in Québec, even if you are a Canadian citizen, you will be eligible for the Québec Health Insurance Plan after a waiting period of up to 3 months following your registration.
The Régie does not reimburse you for healthcare you receive during the waiting period. To save you from having to pay for any healthcare services that your family members may need, the Régie strongly recommends that you take out private insurance within 5 days following your arrival in Québec. Thereafter, coverage is more difficult to obtain. For information about private insurance, contact the OmbudService for Life & Health Insurance (OLHI).
Pending receipt of your Health Insurance Card , be sure to keep the letter indicating that you are subject to a waiting period, because some healthcare services are available free of charge to persons waiting for their coverage to take effect, such as services:
- needed by victims of conjugal or domestic violence or of sexual assault
- related to pregnancy, child birth or termination of pregnancy
- needed by people suffering from infectious diseases that have an impact on public health
You need to read this thoroughly: http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens/health-insurance/healthcare/Pages/medical-services.aspx#services-attente