Health insurance in Canada
We tell you who is eligible for free insurance from the state and what it includes.
This is the second part of an article about the health care system in Canada. You can read the first one here.
You are eligible for free public insurance if:
- You are a temporary or permanent resident and are legally residing in the province (free health insurance does not apply to tourists);
- You have lived in the province for 12 months or longer;
- You have not applied for residency in another country, province or territory.
To apply for free health insurance, you need to fill out a form that can be found on the provincial Ministry of Health website. You must also provide your ID card — visa or permanent resident card — and proof of residency.
Public health insurance has no expiration date, and you can still access health insurance if you change or lose your job.
In half of the Canadian provinces and territories, newcomers have access to provincial health insurance the day they arrive in the province or territory. In other regions, however, there is a waiting period of up to 3 months after residency is processed. British Columbia, New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan have this rule.
The full article is only available to members of the Immigrant.Today community. Log in to your account to read it for free.
