Hi! I'm new to the forum and would like to say hello but would also like to ask a few questions regarding the above. I've had a little search around the forum and have found a few answers to my questions, tho not all of them.

i intend to enter Canada with a TWP (living in Toronto more than likely) providing my application is a success next year. It is my vague intention to be in Canada for 12 months (and possibly longer) and then travel for a little while.

Being a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic, this means i will of course require my prescription for the duration of my stay. Whilst i intend to stock up on insulin here before i go out, this is obviously going to be limited.

What my question therefore is, is do i get medical insurance (to cover my prescriptions) as soon as i come into the country, and how much would i have to pay? i know that healthcare is specific to the region, tho i'm unsure as to whether this affects insurance?

Is it generally the case that most employers provide some kind of insurance? I don't know where i'll be working yet of course, however i presently work in law and it presumably will be a similar white collared job!!

Also, will i always have to pay a proportion of my prescription cost ?

I know these questions will have a multitude of different answers, so i hope someone will try their best at replying!

Thanks in advance!!

Rob

I am also a Type I diabetic. I take approx 32 units of lantus a day and 50 of Novorapid. The monthly costs of each of these is $120 for lantus and $60 for Novorapid (IIRC). I will have a look at my receipts when I get in.

Test strips cost approx $80 a month.

How much will be covered by your insurance will depend upon your insurance. I have had employer's insurance that have covered everything 100%, and some that covered 80%. 80% coverage appears to be the normal.

Currently, my Alberta Blue Cross pays nothing towards my lantus and I pay a maximum of $25 towards my Novorapid. This is the maximum fee so I ensure that I obtain the maximum amount (3 months worth) each time I go. The $25 max kicks in whether I buy 1 month, 2 months or 3 months supply, so getting 3 months is a no brainer.

as you said, health insurance depends on the Province. I believe Ontario has a 3 month waiting period..but others will be able to inform you better on that one.
I assume you willl arrive then on a WHVisa, as otherwise you would know ahead of time your employer..and in which case then, you could ask as to what they are covering.

Son gets 100 % covered by Pharmacare here in MB.. once he pays his deductable per year..which depends on income.

Just a note of caution though - some company medical insurance covers the drug cost but not the prescription charge (although this is only around $5-10 per prescription but worth noting if you have regular prescriptions).

although this would be a small amount in comparison to paying for the drugs in full

Are you my clone, because it's getting quite alarming how much we have in common?

Anyway, the best prices seem to be at Safeway, I can get One Touch Ultra strips for $71 for 100 there. Plus you get airmiles, which add up quickly with the cost of this stuff.

I had a big argument with my MLA and the minister of health about Lantus, it's not covered because Health Canada has not conducted any clinical trials to determine whether it is effective or not, so under the Health Act, the province don't have to cover it if they don't want to. They use this trick on a lot of cancer medications as well. Of course the reason Health Canada hasn't done any trials is because it is blindingly obvious from trials done in other countries that it is beneficial. So basically what they're saying is that it is so obvious that it works that it's not covered.

I got hold of the woman on the phone at Alberta Health Services who actually does the reviews and makes the recommendations to the minister of health, and she said to me they often recommend approval of things that don't get approved, because they have to tell the minister whether Health Canada have done any trials on it. It's purely a budgetary thing.

I don't doubt that for a minute. Lantus was covered by all my previous providers but Blue Cross won't. IIRC, when I first came over it was much more expensive than it is now. Luckily, it is not a big issue for me. Clearly, I wish it was covered, but I am not destitute because it isn't.

Walmart is the cheapest here for test strips. About $85 I think. We pay about $95 for them at ShoppersDrugMart but we order when they have bonus reward points which they do every weekend; either a bonus amount, bonus according to product purchased, or 10/20 x points.

Almost every month they do 20 x points and the bonus is greater as my wife and I are both diabetic. Almost every month we gain a $170 spend there just from the non prescription supplies. It's quite disappointing to "only" get half that once in a while.

I have tried to obtain test strips without a prescription, I have never been able do so.

I have been told that the ones I use are "expensive" Medisense precision. I use those simply because of the tester I used in England. I am told that is is possible to get some that cost $25 for 100. Mine, IIRC, are $80 ish for 100.

through the CDA u can get help with the cost of test strips, ask your endocrinologist for a form or call the CDA and ask them about it, but basically u can get them for $25 a box, the CDA pay the other $75 up too $1,000 a year I think it is, anyone with Type 1 is entitled to it in Ontario, most pharmacy's don't know about it, u can either pay for them then claim the cost back....or do wot I did and find a pharmacy that is happy to do the work for u and claim the money back and only take $25 from the patient!!

Bought them from Safeway without a prescription many times. You don't need a prescription for anything diabetes related, the only real advantage I've seen is if you have a prescription drug plan so you can claim on it.

The only thing I take that is covered by ABC non-group coverage is NovoRapid, and you can get that for $30 a bottle at Safeway.

Non-group coverage for a single person costs $762 a year and for a family it's $1412, so it may not actually make sense for a diabetic to have it, depends on how much insulin you get through.

And yeah, Lantus has come down a lot in price, I used to pay around $85 and it's now $65.

You will be encouraged to buy stuff off-prescription if you go on holiday to the US for any length of time. AHCIP rations the amounts you can buy and a bottle of NovoLog in the US usually costs $120+. Lantus is usually around $100. Not uncommon to see Americans getting their prescriptions filled in Lethbridge.

u should bring a Glucagon with you that has a long use by date.....in case u don't get coverage...they are over $100 to buy.....wish they did a trade in ya old one when not used

Hi robellovich,

My understanding is that as you will be entering under a temporary work permit that you do not qualify for coverage under the Canadian Health System.

It is therefore highly likely that you will need to purchase comprehensive health coverage/insurance (which does cover prescription medication I believe) before you arrive in Canada (and are likely to be asked to show evidence of coverage at the border).

Hope that helps.

Not true. As a TWP he/she will participate in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) after the three month waiting period. Private health insurance is recommended for the waiting period.

Hey, have a read of this: http://www.calgaryherald.com/busines...209/story.html

Wonder if they need anyone to participate in the trial? If they get approval.