HEALTH AND INCOME SECURITY
HEALTH
How do you obtain medical services?
Medical services are available form hospitals, doctors
and other health care providers. Persons without health
insurance coverage are charged directly for these services.
Insurance coverage for essential medical services is
available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
Each person carries a personal health card which must
be shown at the reception desk of the doctor or hospital.
Each province has its own particular requirements to
obtain a health insurance card so it is important to
contact a provincial ministry of health office in the
province you reside.
How do you get a health card?
You can apply for a health card at the provincial ministry
of health office in your city. You will find the address
in the provincial government listings in your telephone
book. Take with you your birth certificate, Canada Immigration
visa (Record of Landing) and passport. Some provinces
also request further documentation showing your name
and address and your signature.
All members of your family must have their own coverage.
Take their documents with you, and ask the government
officer for information about registering them.
Who is eligible to receive a health card?
Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible
in all provinces. Certain persons in Canada for a temporary
period of time (e.g., temporary workers, holders of
a Minister's permit, foreign students, and refugees
whose status has been confirmed by the Immigration Refugee
Board) are also eligible in some provinces. Essential
health care services are available to refugee claimants
through the Interim Federal Health Program at Citizenship
and Immigration Canada.
How soon are you eligible?
Permanent residents are eligible immediately, except
in British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick where
there is a three-month waiting period. Persons in Canada
temporarily and holding Immigration Canada documentation
(e.g., temporary workers, holders of a Ministers permit
and foreign students) have different waiting periods,
depending on the province. For more information, contact
the provincial ministry of health.
Is your health card accepted throughout Canada?
For permanent residents, your health card is primarily
for use in the province you live in. If you move to
another province, reapply as soon as possible. There
are waiting periods before you can be covered, although
you are covered by the health plan of the province you
left for a certain amount of time. If you are visiting
another province, your card can be used in an emergency.
Residents residing in a province for a temporary period
should contact the provincial health insurance plan
office in the province of permanent residence for further
clarification concerning their coverage throughout Canada.
How are medical services paid for?
Most medical services are paid for by various tax measures.
Basic hospital charges and doctor's fees are covered.
Two provinces charge premiums (British Columbia and
Alberta). In general, insured services are provided
on a prepaid basis, i.e. provincial plans pay the hospital
or doctor directly for services they provide to eligible
residents.
What medical services are NOT covered?
Provinces do not pay for services that are medically
unnecessary, such as cosmetic surgery. Some provinces
provide coverage for non-medical service coverage, such
as prescription drugs and assistive devices. These may
require a co-payment by the patient.
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