irfyg

Hi all,

My wife and I are concerned regarding the OHIP probationary period.

She requires monthly check-ups with specialists and requires a large amount of eye-drops/eye medication on a daily basis. This is due to a former surgery she underwent with regards to one of her eyes.

I've contacted several insurance companies (eg. Manulife) who have stated to me that they wouldn't cover all of that.

What are our options?

R I C H

Put some money aside.

My wife needed ankle surgery for a pre-existing condition (metal required removal) before we qualified for MSP in BC. It was just day surgery, but cost us over $5,000. In effect she was treated as a private patient and could pick and choose her surgeon, date and time.

Stinkypup

You can go to an optometrist, they can keep her under observation- this shouldnt drain the bank and should keep her eyes safe- They will know if she needed opthamological opinion

irfyg

She visits 3 different specialist ophthalmologists on a monthly basis, so this will be necessary as she requires constant supervision on her eye.

Dorothy

As someone who worked for 20 years for ophthalmologists in Ontario, this is unlikely to happen there unless you're moving to Toronto or willing to travel to Toronto monthly.

But, like R I C H says, put some money aside because for the first 3 months your wife is not covered by OHIP.

As an aside, was her condition not a problem during the medical for your visa? My partner was worried about every little thing when he went for his medical.

irfyg

We've just submitted her "living outside of Canada" spousal sponsorship. I'm hoping it won't hinder her application.

We already have a place to stay here in the GTA, so we won't be too far from Toronto.

One of the options that we considered, albeit quite stressful - especially in the event of an emergency, is to travel back to England every month for her tests/medication.

Dorothy

If you're going to be living in Canada as permanent residents you'll be paying not only for flights every month but also for private care in England. Being non residents you won't be eligible for NHS care. Why wouldn't you simply pay for her care in Canada?

May I ask what it is that she needs to see 3 specialist ophthalmologists every month for? That seems like a whole lot of specialist care to me.

irfyg

Simply put, she has a donated cornea, among numerous other eye conditions. I couldn't even begin to name them all.

That was my suggestion, that we simply pay for the medical coverage out of our own pocket, instead of flying back and forth.

Dorothy

I think paying for it on your own would be the way to go. At least financially anyway.

As far as corneal specialists go, Dr Trevor Chin Fook at St Mike's in downtown Toronto has a very good reputation.

irfyg

I really do appreciate that, we've been worried about how to go about finding specialists for her.

I've also spoke to my optometrist and he stated that Markham Stouffville Hospital has numerous specialists that she could go to.

Dorothy

St Michael's is one of the ophthalmology teaching centres in Ontario and where we used to refer patients with complex issues.

irfyg

This is fantastic information, I will definitely let her know that.

I guess I can start by reaching out to Dr Trevor Chin Fook? Are there any other methods to make initial contact regarding her situation?

She's planning on moving over in about a years time, after the immigration (fingers crossed) goes through. That being said, she can't go a day without having the medication, or her transplant risks rejection.

We will need to have something in place, her plan is to bring with her a few weeks worth of medication/drops, but after that she will need to be prescribed some more.

Dorothy

She will have to get a referral from eith a GP or optometrist. Thst could take a few weeks. Then it could be a wait to get an appointment. Bring 3 months worth of meds if she can.

scilly

I'm pretty sure that you can't just go to a specialist out of the blue ............... you have to have a referral from a GP, or by having been in emergency or hospital for treatment.

Stinkypup

I'm sure that is what Dorothy said... GP or optometrist - will be easy to get appt from either even if visit for a fee . I'm sure that the specialist would open to comments prior to formal referral