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Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Old Dec 4th 2017, 1:05 pm
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Default Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Hi there guys,

I'm just chasing up the healthcare angle and wanted to check:

If we're going to Canada as temporary residents, do we still need a print out of our health records? Or will we need to get these if we decide to go the Express Entry route?
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 1:15 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Hi.
My husband and I live in Alberta as temp residents. We didn’t need any health records whatsoever.
We simply moved over, registered for Alberta healthcare, registered for health insurance through the private insurer my husband’s employer uses, and then registered with a local dr’s.
Couldn’t have been simpler. :-)

If you later apply for PR, my understanding is you’ll need specific health checks. (we’re going to apply next year so that stage will come to us as well.)

Good luck!
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 1:19 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Cheers Suzeandmatt!

That's a weight off our mind then! Cheers!
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 1:31 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Originally Posted by Obitim
Cheers Suzeandmatt!

That's a weight off our mind then! Cheers!
No worries! I did go to our GP before we left for a print out of our medical notes for a dr here just in case (happily they were free)- but they’re just gathering dust in our house now!
I would maybe advise getting them if you have complicated health issues to show your new dr, otherwise when you register you go through any health issues (or not) verbally anyway so they’re not needed.
We found it all very easy. :-)

Have fun!!
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 2:14 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Vaccination records for kids , definitely.
other than that , yep our med records from the UK are sitting gathering dust in safety deposit box
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 2:16 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

No kids so I guess that's not an issue, plus no long term complicated health issues...
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 5:35 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

If your new doc needs them they can ask for them. Just get vaccination records for yourselves as well as children, ongoing medications, and any ongoing healthcare issues.
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Old Dec 4th 2017, 7:48 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

remember that obtaining prescriptions is different in Canada ......

.... you have to pay for your drugs here unless you are lucky enough to have a job where there is a medical plan that will cover drug costs after a certain deduction has been reached. Common deductions are $1000 or $2000.

A number of the drugs that you may get free in the UK are not prescription here and you have to pay the full over-the-counter price ............... eg, Tylenol (= paracetamol), cough medicines, etc

Also you usually have a 3 month wait before you are eligible for the provincial health scheme, so you need to bring with you sufficient prescription medications to cover that period of time.
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 7:33 am
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Originally Posted by scilly
remember that obtaining prescriptions is different in Canada ......

.... you have to pay for your drugs here unless you are lucky enough to have a job where there is a medical plan that will cover drug costs after a certain deduction has been reached. Common deductions are $1000 or $2000.

A number of the drugs that you may get free in the UK are not prescription here and you have to pay the full over-the-counter price ............... eg, Tylenol (= paracetamol), cough medicines, etc

Also you usually have a 3 month wait before you are eligible for the provincial health scheme, so you need to bring with you sufficient prescription medications to cover that period of time.
Cheers Scilly,

As my wife is at uni there then we get on the university enhanced plan and we're going to register with the province as soon as possible after we land as well.

It's all getting a bit real now!
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 12:03 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Originally Posted by scilly

.... you have to pay for your drugs here unless you are lucky enough to have a job where there is a medical plan that will cover drug costs after a certain deduction has been reached. Common deductions are $1000 or $2000
I wouldn't say that is the normal benefits plan design in Canada ( but maybe so in the States). Most plans here have small deductibles and then some coinsurance - so they would pick up 70-90% of the cost of a prescription from the outset, then you pay the rest ( or put it through a second plan if you have one).
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 12:11 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

yeah , my old one covered 80%.
my new one covers 100% but with a $5 co pay

worth noting (because i didn't figure this out for a while) is that if you and your spouse have plans then what yours doesn't pay the other one may pick up. Its called coordination of benefits
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 12:20 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Originally Posted by Zoe Bell

worth noting (because i didn't figure this out for a while) is that if you and your spouse have plans then what yours doesn't pay the other one may pick up. Its called coordination of benefits
And this is the thing I get the most enquiries about at work 😉
Coordinating properly between two plans is essential to maximize your coverage and reimbursements. Always tell your benefits administrator if you have changes to coverage, ie, whether a spouse gains or loses coverage. All insurance companies work on the same rules, and lots of claims just stall (especially if being directly submitted by your dentist or physio, etc) and the insurance company software just hiccups because based on how you have been set up, it thinks it is either the primary payer or the secondary payer, so if not coordinated properly, your claim just stalls.
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 1:02 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Oh, wow! That sounds pretty complicated!

I guess we'll get our heads round that once we're in the system?
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 2:44 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

Originally Posted by ann m
And this is the thing I get the most enquiries about at work 😉
Coordinating properly between two plans is essential to maximize your coverage and reimbursements. Always tell your benefits administrator if you have changes to coverage, ie, whether a spouse gains or loses coverage. All insurance companies work on the same rules, and lots of claims just stall (especially if being directly submitted by your dentist or physio, etc) and the insurance company software just hiccups because based on how you have been set up, it thinks it is either the primary payer or the secondary payer, so if not coordinated properly, your claim just stalls.
We have had co-ordination of benefits for many years and it carried forward into retirement. As a result neither me nor my wife have ever paid for any drug prescription, including all diabetic supplies. Since entering retirement the Ontario Government covers most drug costs but in those instances where it doesn’t the employer plans kick in. At one point and for three years my drug costs exceeded $5,000 monthly and now are $2,000 per month.
The co-ordination also applies to dentistry, podiatry, physic and medical appliances. Believe it or not our insurer paid for my wife’s parking costs when I was in hospital for three months. Needless to say we’ve been nothing but delighted with our health care situation.
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Old Dec 5th 2017, 7:26 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff

you can also claim any medical expenses not paid by a provincial or private plan, ie the amount you had to pay out of pocket, as a tax deduction.

The lowest earner of a couple should make that claim for both people.

I usually claim between $3000 and $4000 a year on my tax return, and get most of that (if not all) back as a refund.
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