Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 138
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?
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?
#2
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Joined: Sep 2016
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 327
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!
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!
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 138
Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
Cheers Suzeandmatt!
That's a weight off our mind then! Cheers!
That's a weight off our mind then! Cheers!
#4
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Joined: Sep 2016
Location: Calgary, AB
Posts: 327
Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
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!!
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!!
#5
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
other than that , yep our med records from the UK are sitting gathering dust in safety deposit box
#6
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Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 138
Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
No kids so I guess that's not an issue, plus no long term complicated health issues...
#7
limey party pooper
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,979
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.
#8
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,873
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.
.... 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.
#9
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 138
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.
.... 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.
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!
#10
Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
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).
#11
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
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
#12
Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
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.
#13
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Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 138
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?
I guess we'll get our heads round that once we're in the system?
#14
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,231
Re: Moving to Canada - Health Stuff
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.
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.
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.
#15
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,873
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.
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.