alee667 said:
I have landed in Ontario as new immigrant on 13th Jan 2017 and then moved to Alberta on 22nd Jan 2017. Applied for health card a week later (27th Jan) and returned from Canada on 3 Feb 2017. So far, I haven't received my Alberta Health card at my address in alberta. I am currently outside Canada and planning to travel again by 1st week april 2017 for birth of baby.
How much time generally Alberta Health takes to send the health card at the address?
Am I eligible for the health coverage since the day I have landed in Alberta though I am currently out of Canada?
I have intentions to live in Alberta for six months but what if I move to any other province or outside Canada after birth of baby and living in alberta for less than six months?
Appreciate if anyone please advise in this scenario.
When you signed up for AB health, you signed up for the eligibility requirements found here: http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/registration-requirements.html
They are:
Eligible residents
An eligible resident of Alberta is a person who is:
* Legally entitled to be or to remain in Canada and makes his/her permanent home in Alberta;
* Committed to being physically present in Alberta for at least 183 days in a 12 month period;
* Not claiming residency or obtaining benefits under a claim of residency in another province, territory or country;
* Any other person deemed by the regulations to be a resident not including a tourist, transient or visitor to Alberta.
If you fail to spend at least 183 days in AB in the first 12 month period after you arrived, you have not met your eligibility requirements and could be classified as a person not resident in Alberta but rather a transient, a person who was only staying in AB for a short time.
AB health could in that case retroactively cancel your health care meaning it would be as if you never had it and they could back charge you for all the expenses they have covered for you.
If they were to suspect as well that you never actually planned to spend 183 days in AB based on your travel history and that you only kept an address in AB in order to gain coverage for your child birth, they could add charges of health care fraud as well. Fraud is a criminal offense. Therefore, I would suggest that you take this seriously and do make sure you spend at least 183 days in AB this year in order to avoid major complications in your life later on. Either that or forget AB and move to where you really want to live and figure out if you can get health care there to pay for it or otherwise pay out of pocket.