New Immigrants to Canada | Medical Insurance
health insurance for New Immigrants to Canada, while your provincial medical plan is not in effect!
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Excited to start a new life in Canada? Pack your bags and make sure you have everything ready, so you can settle in as smooth as possible!
One thing you should know, although Canadian health care system is considered one of the best in the world, there are still some coverage limitations such as a waiting period for provincial insurance plan for newcomers.
That is why, getting a suitable health insurance coverage for New Immigrants to Canada is an important step to take before you can enjoy what Canada has to offer!
Health insurance for New Immigrants to Canada is designed to cover potential losses arising from medical emergencies such as accidental injuries and unexpected sicknesses during the period of coverage.
It is available for New Immigrants and other Visitors to Canada, who are not yet eligible for any provincial medical insurance plans due to a waiting period in certain Canadian provinces including BC, QC, SK and Yukon.
Moreover, if you are a New Immigrant to Canada with a private health insurance plan, your side-trips to other countries (with the exception of your country of origin/citizenship) are also covered, as long as your stay in Canada for the majority of your coverage period.
Depending on the province of your destination, there may be a certain waiting period ranging from 2 to 3 months, during which you are not eligible to receive medical coverage from the government.
These provinces include British Columbia, Yukon, Quebec, Nunavut and, in some cases, Saskatchewan.
During this time, you are encouraged apply for private medical emergency coverage for New Immigrants to Canada and stay protected from unnecessary financial expenses related to your immediate health care needs.
Cost and Apply?
Use our Online Calculator for New Immigrants Insurance Canada to find quotes from all private Canadian Insurance providers we work with. Once you enter all needed information and click “Calculate Quote”, you will see a list of quotes with different deductible options.
Deductible is the amount of money that you pay out-of-pocket before the insurance company covers the rest, when you make a claim.
As soon as you’ve calculated a quote and saw the list of options, select a quote that you feel comfortable with from the list provided and click on the “Plan Details” button on the right.
You will be re-directed to a web-page with policy highlights, benefit summary as well as Policy Wording for the insurance plan of your interest.
Please take a moment to review your coverage details. Refer to the official Policy Wording for a New Immigrants Insurance Plan of your choice to determine your eligibility as well as familiarize yourself with other important information for the policy you are about to purchase.
Once it is out of the way, click on the “Buy Insurance” or “Buy Online” button to proceed.
You are almost there! Purchasing process takes about 5-10 minutes and only requires basic personal information. You will be asked to provide your name, date of birth, coverage period dates and your contact information in Canada.
Take your time to review the application and enter payment details to finalize it. Once your payment is processed, you will receive an email with your your New Immigrants insurance policy confirmation right away!
Each New Immigrants health emergency insurance has its unique features. However, here is a summary of health benefits that are provided by all plans we have to offer!
– Hospitalization
– Ambulance Transportation
– Emergency Dental Repair
– Dental Pain Relief
– Prescription Medication
– Laboratory Diagnostics/ X-Ray
– Services of a Medical Specialist i.e. chiropractor, osteopath, etc.
– Follow up Treatment
– Registered Nurse Services
– Rental or Purchase of Medical Appliances
For a detailed coverage description please read the Policy Wording of the insurance plan you select.
As a New Immigrant to Canada, you are entitled to Government health care benefits in a province of your residence. It allows you to receive healthcare at any clinic or hospital without paying out of your pocket for medically necessary services.
Yet, if you happen to settle in Yukon, British Columbia, Nunavut or Quebec, there will be a waiting period of 2 to 3 months following the date your residence is established before your government health insurance becomes effective.
Saskatchewan: if you are a newcomer from outside Canada and move to Saskatchewan AFTER the first (1st) day of the third (3rd) month following your arrival in Canada, you may also be a subject to a 2-month waiting period for the provincial health insurance. You can, however, waive the waiting period if you arrive or relocate to Saskatchewan prior to that date.
During this time, you may want to purchase medical insurance to protect yourself and your family from unnecessary health care costs resulting from a medical emergency.
Generally, for New Immigrants to Canada the waiting period for provincial insurance plan starts on the date you establish your residence in NU, QC, SK, BC or Yukon.
In Yukon and Quebec it takes up to (3) three months to receive your government insurance policy following the date of your arrival in one of these provinces from another country or the date you became eligible for provincial insurance.
On the other hand, British Columbia and Saskatchewan has a slightly different approach to calculating a waiting period.
For landed immigrants in BC, duration of an applicable waiting period will consist of 2 full months plus the remainder of the month following the date your residency in BC is established.
As for Nunavut, you may be eligible to receive provincial insurance coverage on the first day of the third month following your arrival in Canada.
The Ministry of Health in NU, BC, Yukon, QC and SK will determine the date of residency establishment using a number of factors. However, in most cases your waiting period will begin upon your arrival in one of the above provinces.
Please note that you will have to be physically present in a province of your residence for a certain number of days within a calendar year in order to maintain your eligibility for the government insurance coverage.
Learn More About Provincial Insurance coverage across Canada by using the links below:
- British Columbia
- Alberta
- Saskatchewan
- Manitoba
- Ontario
- Quebec
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Yukon
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
Visit the officialHealth Care System website for more information on medical insurance coverage in each province and territory.
A: If you are travelling to BC, Nunavut, Yukon or Quebec as a Permanent Resident, the government of Canada official strongly recommend that you purchase a private insurance policy. If you are a moving to Saskatchewan after the first 2 months of your arrival in Canada from overseas, then you would also need to purchase a private insurance plan to cover the waiting period.
When you have a private insurance you can use it to cover possible medical emergency expenses while your provincial insurance is not active for the first 2-3 months of arrival.
A: Even though you are not required to purchase a travel insurance policy for New Immigrants to Canada, you may choose to protect your personal finances with it. In fact, if you are heading to British Columbia, Yukon, Nunavut or Quebec you will not be able to enjoy Government health insurance for another 2 or 3 months due to the waiting period. Certain exceptions may apply in Saskatchewan depending on the date of your arrival in the province.
That is why, it is highly recommended to buy a New Immigrants medical insurance plan to cover possible emergencies until you receive your provincial health insurance card.
A: It is strongly recommended to buy your travel health insurance for New Immigrants to Canada before you arrive in order to avoid the waiting period, during which you will not be able to use your insurance policy.
The waiting period ranges from 2 to 15 days depending on the insurance policy, if you purchase it after your arrival in Canada.
A: Unfortunately, all Visitors to Canada Insurance plans including those designed for New Immigrants to Canada will only cover medical emergencies.
However, in case you unexpectedly fall sick or get injured and need to visit a doctor for a check up, then you are covered!
Please note that you must not have any claims on your file in order to receive a pro-rated refund for the unused portion of your coverage period.
A: Most of the insurance plans cover you anywhere in Canada without you having to stay in a certain province during the entire coverage period.
Please let us know if you have any question about your options!
If you couldn’t find what you were looking for, please take a look at our General FAQ for more information, or talk to our advisors and we will be happy to assist you!
