Hello folks,
Just looking into the possibility of getting my soon to be wife covered under some sort of medical plan when she arrives in Ontario. We're not looking to bring her here until March or April (which is close to when we plan on getting married).
I realize that she won't be covered under OHIP when she arrives, and talking with our HR dept. here she won't be covered under my company medical benefits since they are there to supplement OHIP, not as a replacement.
So, I was wondering if anyone has looked into the traveller type insurance to cover any medical expenses. I did some Google searches today looking for anything that looked like it would cover her while shes here and waiting for PR and eventually OHIP coverage.
http://www.healthquotes.ca
http://www.visitorsinsurance.ca
http://www.biis.ca/e/visit_P.html
I'm sure there are others, these just happened to be near the top of my search. Anyone else have any suggestions or thoughts? I haven't called to confirm what exactly can be covered, but I plan to do that in the next few days.
Thanks.
You have probably identified the primary resources for obtaining temporary coverage while in Canada. I'm betting it is quite expensive (at the least) and does not cover continuing health care issues for present or pre-existing conditions, unless that coverage is specifically purchased, and the latter I'd expect to be hugely expensive.
I'd look first at any options for continuing current coverage. If your wife-to-be is an American, and has health insurance through her employment, she can elect to pay to continue that coverage per COBRA rights. That too will be expensive and may dramatically limit where she can actually obtain covered health care, but if there are pre-existing conditions that may be the best option . . . far from perfect, but protection against huge medical expenses if they arise prior to her obtaining PR status and qualifying for OHIP.
On the other hand, persons in good health with no chronic or continuing health issues or expenses (such as diabetes, HBP, heart conditions, etc.), and no imminent risk factors, it is not that big of gamble to go a few months without health care insurance.
While health care in Canada is expensive, the kind of health care a healthy person needs should cost less than the premium for coverage barring some major medical emergency. It may be a risk worth taking for many.
I dropped health care coverage years ago -- with the plan to find some alternative by the time I was 55 years old (the age at which I assumed my risk factors would make it foolish to not have health insurance coverage). I let that milestone pass. In the meantime I have had one visit to an emergency room ($400), some minor surgery (around $3500 if every related expense is included, including diagnostic tests which account for nearly half of that amount), and many visits to walk-in clinics (usually around $50 a pop, with some additional costs for tests and such). In eight years, my medical expenses totaled around what I would have paid for insurance for less than one year's worth of coverage. I was gambling. At my age, it was probably a fairly risky gamble. I'm continuing to gamble for just a little longer.
Of course I also have had some backup plans.
http://www.coverme.com has pretty decent rates for emergency coverage for visitors to Canada.
I say emergency coverage as walk-in clinics can be pretty cheap for the odd doctor visit. (I paid 40 bucks a visit at the clinic here.) so I just opted to get emergency treatment in the event of some sort of emergency.
If she doesn't have pre-existing conditions and has no need for a doctor on a regular basis, check into the cash prices for the local doctors and clinics and if you can afford that, then just get emergency coverage.
Thanks for the responses folks!
She doesn't have any pre-existing conditions, shes not taking any form of medication on regular basis, so there really wouldn't be any major expenses in that regard.
I guess with always having been covered under OHIP I never realized that the regular doctor visits weren't very expensive.
The idea of emergency coverage sounds good, and I'll definitely look into
http://www.coverme.com for that. I guess I'm just a bit of a worrier. ;) I just want to make sure all our bases are covered and that in the event that 'stuff' happens we'll be ok. Both physically and financially.
Thanks again for your comments and suggestions!