Health Insurance for Returning Canadians
Temporary Health Insurance - Quotes Calculator
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Coming back home from an adventure is always wonderful as you feel completely refreshed and ready to get back to your usual routine.
However, don’t let this feeling of excitement allow you to forget about your personal safety as your Provincial Health Insurance may have been put on hold while you were away. It is especially the case with residents returning to SK, YT, NU, QC or BC, where a 2-3 months waiting period may apply before your government health coverage is reactivated.
Hence, getting a suitable insurance plan for citizens and residents returning to Canada will take care of any emergency medical treatment before your provincial coverage is reactivated.
If you are a Citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada and your provincial medical care plan has been deactivated due to your absence, you can protect yourself from the costs of any urgent health care needs with a medical emergency insurance plan for Returning Canadians.
If you are returning to live in BC, YT, NU, QC or SK your provincial health insurance plan may take about 2-3 months to begin once you arrive and re-establish your residence.
Such coverage is active while you are in Canada or taking a short side-trip to other countries across the world (excluding the country of your previous residence) as long stay within Canada is longer than the duration of a side-trip.
In case you reside in Saskatchewan, Yukon, Quebec, Nunavut or British Columbia and your government health insurance plan is on hold due to a long term stay abroad, you may be a subject to a waiting period of approximately up to 90 days before your government health care plan kicks in.
For all other provinces and territories across Canada, the above condition does not apply.
By purchasing private health insurance for Canadians returning to Canada you can secure your finances and avoid paying unnecessary medical expenses in case of an emergency, while your provincial health insurance is being re-activated.
Cost and Apply?
Calculate a personal quote for Returning Canadians Insurance using our free online tool above. From the options provided, you will see a list of private Canadian health insurance plans with different deductible amounts.
Deductible amount is what you will have to pay yourself, before the insurance company takes care of the rest if there happens to be a claim.
Select a quote and proceed with clicking on “Plan Details” button for any particular insurance plan on the right-hand side.
You will be re-directed to a web-page, where you will see your initial quote, plan description as well as other important information regarding the particular insurance policy suitable for Returning Canadians.
Please take a look at the Summary of Benefits as well as other policy highlights on that page. Keep in mind that in order to see the official plan description you will need to review the Policy Wording that is available for download on the same page.
Once you have decided that the chosen Returning Canadian insurance plan suits your needs, you may proceed by clicking “Buy Insurance” or “Buy Online” button.
The last step is to complete an online application form as well as pay using your credit card. It will only take a few minutes and requires basic personal and contact information about the applicant. Once you finish typing in the needed information, take a moment to review your application before you enter your credit card details.
Once your payment is processed, you will receive your health emergency Returning Canadians insurance plan by email in a couple of minutes!
Each emergency health insurance offers their owns features that may not be included in another policy, and therefore, it is important for you to examine your options carefully and read plan description documents.
– Hospital Accommodation & Services
– Ambulance Services
– Emergency Dental Repair
– Dental Pain Relief
– Prescription Drugs
– Laboratory Diagnostics/ X-ray
– Services of a Medical Specialist
– Follow up Visits to a Specialist
– Services of a Registered Nurse
– Rental or Purchase of Medical Appliances
For a detailed coverage description please read the Policy Wording of the insurance plan you select.
Government health insurance eligibility varies across Canada. In certain provinces, returning Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be able to use their provincial health care coverage only 2-3 months after re-establishing your residence.
In case you are returning to Saskatchewan, Quebec, Yukon or British Columbia, your medical plan will only begin 2 to 3 months following your arrival due to a waiting period.
Yet, while your provincial coverage is reactivated, it is highly recommended to apply for a private insurance in order to secure your financial well-being against the costs of emergency medical treatment you may require.
The waiting period applies to Returning Canadians coming to QC, SK, BC or Yukon.
In Quebec and Yukon you should be eligible for provincial insurance (3) three months after you have arrived and re-registered for the health care plan in one of these provinces.
In comparison, British Columbia calculates the duration of the waiting period in a slightly different way. Your waiting period will be based on the remainder of the month when you arrive and establish your residence in BC plus 2 additional months. It is highly recommended to notify BC MSP office of your arrival in order to commence insurance activation process.
Similarly, in Saskatchewan your provincial insurance coverage will begin on the first day of the third month after your arrival there.
The Ministry of Health affairs in your province of residence will determine the date your residency is established through a number of factors.
In addition to providing necessary documents (if required), you must also physically reside in a province that grants you government health care benefits for a certain number of days within a calendar year in order to remain eligible for such insurance.
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 returning to live in British Columbia, Quebec, Nunavut, Yukon or Quebec, the government of Canada official strongly recommend that you purchase a private insurance policy. There is one exception – Saskatchewan. If you return to live in Saskatchewan within the first 2 months following your arrival in Canada, then the waiting period will no longer apply.
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: While it is not necessary to purchase private insurance when you are returning to Canada, it is highly recommended to do so in order to cover possible medical emergency expenses in case of an unforeseen sickness or an accidental injury while your provincial insurance is reactivated.
More specifically, it is recommended to get a private insurance if you are a returning resident to NU, BC, YT and QC as it will take from 2 to 3 months before your can use government insurance plan. Conditionally, you can avoid the waiting period in SK if you arrive prior to the 1st day of the 3rd month following your return to Canada.
A: Ideally, you should purchase your insurance policy before you leave the country of your current residence.
It is strongly recommended to allow a few business days before you travel to buy your insurance 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 you select, if you purchase it after you arrive in Canada.
A: While private insurance for Visitors and Citizens of Canada will not cover routine healthcare such as check ups, such treatment is still covered if you find yourself in a medical emergency situation.
In case you suddenly fall ill or get injured, your insurance policy will take care of the costs for clinic visits, physician’s services, hospitalization, emergency dental care, prescription drugs, laboratory tests and much more!
A: Yes, you can. If your provincial insurance plan starts before the expiry date of your private insurance policy, you will be eligible for a pro-rated refund, provided you did not have any claims.
Your refund will be calculated based on the number of days left unused following the date your provincial insurance plan begins less the cancellation fee of $25-$50
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!