What
you should know about Health Care in Canada
Canada has a public health care system
known as Medicare. It provides insurance coverage for health care
services to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents. (You will
be a permanent resident.) The federal government sets health care
standards for the whole country, but the programs are run by the
provincial ministries of health.
Apply for provincial health care
coverage as soon as possible after you arrive in the province where
you plan to live. In the provinces of British Columbia, Ontario,
Quebec and New Brunswick, there is a three-month waiting period
before you become eligible for medicare coverage. If you are planning
to settle in any of these provinces, you should buy private health
insurance coverage for the first three months. Insurance companies
are listed in the Yellow Pages of all Canadian telephone books, under
“Insurance.”
If you need medication, be sure to
bring a supply of it with you. It could take a while for you to find
a family doctor in Canada from whom you will have to get new
prescriptions. However, every city in Canada has walk-in medical
clinics where you can see a doctor for emergencies or until you find
a family physician. The services provided by these drop-in clinics
can be paid for either through Medicare, or by private health
insurance. In most cases, you do not need to pay cash for their
services. The clinics are staffed by medical personnel with the same
qualifications as every other medical personnel in Canada, and the
quality of care you get in walk-in clinics is equal to the quality of
care you get from hospitals and family doctors.
Applying
for a Health Insurance card
One of the most important things you
need to do as soon as you arrive in Canada is to apply for a health
insurance card. All members of your family, even newborn babies, must
have their own card. You can get an application form from the
provincial ministry of health office, any doctor’s office, a
hospital or a pharmacy. The immigrant-serving organization in your
area can help you fill out the form. To apply for a health card, you
will need your birth certificate or Confirmation of Permanent
Residence (IMM 5292) and passport. The permanent resident card may
also be presented. In most provinces, you will receive coverage as
soon as you apply.
Your health insurance card is mainly
for use in the province where you live. If you are visiting another
province and have a medical emergency, you can use your card.
However, if you move to another province, you will need to apply for
a new card.
Interim
Federal Health Program
The Interim Federal Health Program
provides temporary health insurance to refugees, protected persons
and refugee claimants, as well as to their dependants, who are not
yet covered by a provincial or territorial health insurance plan.
This program is delivered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
To qualify, you must be able to demonstrate that you are unable to
pay for your own medical services, and that you are not covered by a
private health insurance plan.
More information on the health care
system can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/guide/section-05.asp.
For information about the Federal
Health Program, call:
* General Inquiries: 1 888 242-2100
* TTY: 1 888 576-8502