Healthcare in Canada for Permanent Residence Holders

Canada’s universal healthcare system is not just limited to its citizens, but it also extends to Canadian permanent residents. If you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent residence holder of Canada, you may apply for the public healthcare insurance. Using the public health insurance will allow you to avail yourself of most of the health services without paying for them.

The Canadian health insurance is funded through taxes. While using this service, you are required to show your medical card while availing the service. Each province and territory has their health insurance plan. You need to understand the plans your province or territory covers.

The Waiting Period to Get Public Health Insurance

While availing the public health insurance, you may have to wait up to 3 months or more. If you are curious, you can contact the ministry in your territory or province to learn how long you will have to wait before getting the health insurance benefits. It is advised that you have private health insurance to get you covered while you are waiting for public health insurance.

Getting Your Health Insurance Card

Once you get your public health insurance card from a province or territory, you will need to show this card each time you avail yourself of a medical service.

Extra Health Insurance

There are certain services that public health insurance does not cover fully. In that case, you will need an extra private health insurance that will fill this gap. Some of the most common types of plans that public health insurance does not fully cover are:

• Prescription Medications
• Dental Care
• Physiotherapy
• Ambulance services
• Prescription Eyeglasses

If you are a working individual, you may avail yourself of further benefits from your employer.

Health Insurance for Refugees

The Canadian government also provides special temporary health care benefits to insured persons and refugees. The temporary health service is available only until the refugee or the refugee claimant is eligible for the public health insurance.

Interim Federal Health Program

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides limited and temporary health care benefits to people who are not eligible for public health insurance. However, these individuals need to be protected persons, such as refugees or refugee claimants.

What does IFHP do?

IFHP provides basic healthcare services to refugees similar to those offered by public health insurance. These services include:

• Inpatient and outpatient hospital services
• Medical doctors and nurses licensed in Canada attend to the patients
• Allied-healthcare practitioners, including clinical psychologists, psychotherapists, counselling therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, and physiotherapists, provide services through IFHP.
• Medical assistance devices are readily available, including: 1. Orthopaedic and Prosthetic equipment.2. Mobility Aids

  3 . Hearing aids

  4 . Diabetic supplies

  5 . Incontinence supplies

  6. Oxygen equipment

Prescription Drug Coverage

Prescribed medicines listed in provincial and territorial public drug plan formularies are also covered by IFHP.

Canada, being the immigration capital of the world, also knows how to keep its immigrants safe and secure.