Province of Alberta has gone easy on immigrants with overdue insurance
Some residents of the province ran out of their work permit, although they applied for its renewal on time.
Health Department Alberta spokesperson Chris Bourdeau has promised the province will extend health insurance to those waiting to hear back from Immigration, Citizenship and Refugee Canada (IRCC). By law, immigrants without insurance can only be vaccinated against COVID-19, but even that has been difficult for some.
Any medical services, other than a vaccine shot, are very expensive in the absence of insurance. In April 2020, the Alberta Ministry of Health was already providing a 90-day extension of insurance to immigrants in an uncertain legal situation because of lockdown.
In 2022, the maximum renewal period of insurance at the province's expense will be up to six months. Immigrants waiting to renew their work permits will now be able to get health care without having to buy insurance from a private company.
Also, the Alberta Ministry of Health intends to streamline the licensing process for foreign medical graduates. 34.3 per cent of doctors in Alberta are immigrants. That's higher than the national average of 26.2 per cent for all provinces. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta has selected local family doctors who are willing to supervise foreign graduates for six months, which is how long it takes to prove a medical qualification, according to established standards.
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