OHIP COVERAGE while in the US

[BULLWINKLE 3]

There was someone on here who used Ohip and ended up with a big bill later. Once you become a US resident it's no longer available. We have members who still work in Canada and they can't use it, there is no wiggle room.

Thanks Ontarkie... I was hoping to hear some of these first hand experiences!

Edited February 16, 2015 by BULLWINKLE

[Lemonslice 4,841]

All examples I found of people who have been able to skip the residency requirements were for humanitarian reasons such as transfers for palliative care or for mental care in psych ward, because they had no one to support them in the US.

[NikLR 13,227]

The US and Canada have a rule between them. You cannot be a resident of both countries. Every time someone has asked a question about health care on the board and people have called their various provincial health care providers, the answer is the same, you lose coverage the minute you become a US resident because you are no longer a Canadian resident of any province. Anytime you visit Canada from thereon-in, it is best to have travel insurance.

[Dualie 185]

The US and Canada have a rule between them. You cannot be a resident of both countries. Every time someone has asked a question about health care on the board and people have called their various provincial health care providers, the answer is the same, you lose coverage the minute you become a US resident because you are no longer a Canadian resident of any province. Anytime you visit Canada from thereon-in, it is best to have travel insurance.

Manitoba will cover a former resident for two calendar months after leaving the country, but you have to apply for a special certificate and you are required to obtain health insurance in your new country of residence as soon as possible after arriving. Ontario seems pretty cut and dry. I'm guessing each province has its own deal.

[Flames9_RN 358]

Yes all provinces do differ....BC stated a few yrs back they were going to crack down on Cdn citizens that were no longer a resident..but using the medical system as it was costing them $$$$$$. Simple way to look at it--Healthcare is not free--based on taxes..your no longer paying taxes, so no longer entitled to Cdn Healthcare

[Ms Hogan 295]

You cannot have OHIP if you are not a resident of Ontario. End of story. You can pay cash though and if you are just doing regular checkups it isn't as expensive as you might think. I pushed the boundaries a bit because I did my POE in March of 2013 but didn't actually move until June of 2013. Even though we were still in Ontario and Ontario considered us residents, I felt that it wasn't right to abuse the system and paid cash for my appointments and my kids' appointments. I had hoped we wouldn't need any before we left Canada but we did a couple of times.

I can understand missing the doctors and the system, that's for sure. When my aunt was being treated for cancer about 10 years ago we wanted to bring her back to Canada for treatment but even then she was going to have to wait 3 months to qualify! Crazy. But it is what it is. The system is for residents. If we are residents in American then we cannot be residents in Ontario. We can't have our cake and eat it, too. I'm sure plenty of people lie and pull it off but as others have pointed out, that would indeed be fraud.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I know if I were sick with something serious, I would think long and hard about moving back.