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How to Find Personal Health Insurance in Canada

December 21, 2008 By Kate

In Canada, you`ll find that if you are a resident or citizen, you qualify for Medicare, government sponsored health insurance. However, this isn`t for everyone. There are certain things that can take too long if you are waiting for your provincial health plan to kick in or if you aren`t a proper resident. For anyone who has recently moved to a new province, it can also take time to get established and get your health benefits transferred over. This is when personal Canadian health insurance comes in handy.

Insurance is a good idea since you really have no idea when something might happen. An unexpected car accident or an injury in your home that requires therapy and medications that aren`t covered by the provincial health plan can wreak havoc on your financial plans.

Why You Need Extra Health Insurance

There are a number of common health issues that simply aren`t covered by standard provincial health plans. Rather than pay full price for these, it is almost always cheaper to opt for a monthly plan where you can pay a certain amount in order to get coverage for things not included in regular Canadian health insurance.

Some of the things that may not be included in your provincial plan include the following:

•    Dental work
•    Eyeglasses and contacts
•    Prescription drugs
•    Ambulance transport

Prescription drugs in particular can be very expensive in Canada and if you need more than a few days worth, it can quickly break the bank. For this reason alone, many people opt for extra health insurance to make sure they can afford these additional expenses.

How It Works

Using personal Canadian health insurance isn`t that complicated. It works like any other insurance plan. You`ll be paying a monthly fee for the coverage and if or when you need it, you`ll be responsible for paying a premium, the first part of the cost. For example, if you have a premium of $1,000, you`ll be paying that amount and any further expenses will be taken care of by the insurance company.

It`s important to note that the lower the premium, the higher the monthly payments will be and vice versa. Make sure you fully understand the terms of the contract before you decide, since this can make all the difference when you need help.

Where to Find Canadian Health Insurance

If you are looking to create a more comprehensive health care plan, you`ll need to find an insurance company that offers what you need for a good price. This means knowing what you actually need included. There`s no reason to pay more than necessary if you don`t require certain things to be covered, so look for a plan that suits you.

There are quite a few insurance companies that can help you out with good policies and that can make it tough to pick just one. A good way to go, in this case, is with a website that offers comparisons of several insurance providers.

You`ll be able to see at a glance exactly which services are suitable for you, according to price and what they cover. At the very least, you`ll want to include medications and eye care. However it`s important to note that there are other options, as well. For example, you might want to include dental in your health plan. For those who prefer a little luxury, look for an insurance plan that includes private rooms when you are in the hospital.

Canadian health insurance Ajax provided by the government doesn`t always give you what you need, so you may want to consider getting your own personal insurance. This will afford the coverage needed and can be far less costly than later having to pay out of pocket for unforeseen health issues and problems.

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Immigrating to Ontario, Canada – Getting Medical Insurance Within 3 Months

August 11, 2008 By Kate

Canada has one of the best travel health insurance programs in the world. Residents can go to the doctor and have their health issues taken care of without discrimination, without long waiting periods, and without having to pay outlandish medical bills. That is because medical costs are paid with taxpayer money. In other words, the residents of Canada are taking care of each other.

Each Canadian province has its own program. That means eligibility requirements may be different from one province to the next. Some require that residents pay a small fee each month for their insurance, while others may not have to pay anything at all. However, individuals migrating to Canadian provinces such as Ontario have a three month waiting period before their insurance kicks in.

Waiting period

The waiting period is to ensure that immigrants are permanent residents of Ontario. New Brunswick and Quebec have the same waiting periods, so this isn’t at all unusual in Canada. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have some type of health insurance while you wait, though. This just means that you have to wait before taking part in the universal health care that is offered to the people of Canada. Everyone living within Ontario, regardless of how long they’ve lived there, has to wait three months after they have applied for their medical insurance card.

Luckily, though, it is only three months. There are other countries, such as the United States, whose employers offer medical insurance. Many times, employees have to wait anywhere between three months and a year before they have the opportunity to apply for health coverage. There are reimbursement programs that can be utilized in the meantime, but they are expensive to maintain and it is difficult for claims to be paid. This results in many individuals not seeking health care when they are sick or trying to treat injuries on their own. This can be dangerous, which is why Canada has implemented such a fine health care system.

Being covered during the waiting period

Luckily, you don’t have to wait the entire three months to have some type of medical insurance. You can apply for private health insurance coverage, which is very easy to do. All you have to do is look in the yellow pages of the phone book and you will find listings of private insurance companies ready to insure people who are waiting for the end of their three month waiting period. Private insurance companies also come in handy when there is a certain health situation that is not covered under the government’s health plan. There are individuals with certain health problems that use private insurance as a backup plan when their particular condition may not be covered, so this is something to take into consideration when your three month waiting period is over. Do you keep it or do you cancel it? That depends on your health problems and whether or not they are covered under the government plan. Employers also offer medical insurance plans to employees and simply deduct the premiums.

Some individuals keep private insurance after their three month waiting period because the government plan does not allow for dental coverage or private hospital rooms. Individuals that wish to have these two items may opt to keep their private insurance. It is up to you, but what is important is that you can have health coverage within three months of moving to Ontario. That means you do not have to worry about not being covered in case you fall ill or you have an accident that requires you to be treated or even hospitalized.

Independent travel insurance, visitors health insurance and travel health insurance broker serves Canadians, Canadian expatriates and visitors to Canada. For your insurance needs, contact Pucher Insurance.

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