harrisonkrs1 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I have been away for 6 months from canada traveling Asia. My question is do I have to return to Canada or I will lose my health care? Is there a law that I can't live outside of Canada for longer then 6 motnhs? I have heard from others about having to return to Canad a every 6 months. Perhaps some of you could shed some light on this for me. thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cardholder Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Would it not be better to also post this on a Canadian forum ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrisonkrs1 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 Would it not be better to also post this on a Canadian forum ? I am pretty sure someone on this board will know the answer to my question. Plenty of Canadians members here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusMe Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Officially, yes you do. But who's to know you've been out of the country for more than six months? Immigration and Customs that check you when you arrive back, don't talk to whichever other federal department is interested in health, and they sure don't communicate with lowly provincial departments, which are the ones in "control" of the whole thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colabamumbai Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Canadian here living in Thailand more than a year now... I spent five years in Mexico, never returned to Canada..After 5 years I returned, went for a hospital visit...not a problem. They scanned my health card and it works. All my friends and myself were afraid that it would not, so this was the test. They tried to bullshit me and tell me that in the future that if you do not use your health card for over a year it will become invalid. Both are bullshit stories to keep Canadians from spending more that 6 months out of the country a year, which is what most do. Secondly if for some reason your health card becomes invalid, with proper I.D. you will be served, by a hospital and possibly by a doctor, but the doctor wants a health card number to bill the government for his services. You will be taken care of after all it is "Canada" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colabamumbai Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 Should have added, Imigration and or customs does not report your length of stay out of the country, yes it may be in their computers, but you do not go thru immigration or customs, when you leave Canada, only when you return, if you are a Canadian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmacdon61 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 There is a record of your departure from Canada by customs as you are checked when you leave the country ie: not fleeing the law and such, have a visa if you are travelling to a country that requires it, can't board/no visa. If you purchase travel health care, extra coverage, this is to top up your own coverage from whichever province you are from. Now think? You break a leg in month 7 of your travels? Who do you think will cover you? So your health care provider asks, "how long out of country?". You lie amd say 8 days. You think they will not check? They would check to see when your grandmother took her last sh** if they thought they could save a buck!!!!!! They will cover you, but expect a bill when you go home. If you continue to pay your monthly premiums and don't make a claim and come home, they never check, why would they? You can lawfully take out full medical coverage by a private firm when travelling for extended periods of time. Also carry LOTS of Baht's, good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayutthaya69 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 There is a record of your departure from Canada by customs as you are checked when you leave the country ie: not fleeing the law and such, have a visa if you are travelling to a country that requires it, can't board/no visa. If you purchase travel health care, extra coverage, this is to top up your own coverage from whichever province you are from. Now think? You break a leg in month 7 of your travels? Who do you think will cover you? So your health care provider asks, "how long out of country?". You lie amd say 8 days. You think they will not check? They would check to see when your grandmother took her last sh** if they thought they could save a buck!!!!!! They will cover you, but expect a bill when you go home. If you continue to pay your monthly premiums and don't make a claim and come home, they never check, why would they? You can lawfully take out full medical coverage by a private firm when travelling for extended periods of time. Also carry LOTS of Baht's, good luck its depend which province you come from but people from Quebec loose healt care if they outside the country for more then 6 months i know lol im in thailand for 7 years so if i decide to return to Canada i have to wait 1 years for my healt care but its no on my plans and i go everry years for 2 weeks good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
searcher22 Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 I am from Quebec too. If you're out of the country for more than 6 months, you lose your medical coverage. When you go back to Quebec, you have to wait three months before being eligible again for medicare. Every seven years, the government allows you to go away for a full year without losing your medical coverage, but you have to apply. You may also be covered if you're studying full-time here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrisonkrs1 Posted March 24, 2011 Author Share Posted March 24, 2011 cool. i'm from ontario so I guess it would be different. My passport got full out here so i had to get a new one. not sure if that tipped them off that i have been gone for over 6 months. I do pay for insurance out here. So I guess I really don't have much to worry about. Thanks for the tips! O'canada! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayutthaya69 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 cool. i'm from ontario so I guess it would be different. My passport got full out here so i had to get a new one. not sure if that tipped them off that i have been gone for over 6 months. I do pay for insurance out here. So I guess I really don't have much to worry about. Thanks for the tips! O'canada! so gl if you dont want to going back home just go to Bangkok at Canadian Embassy n make a new passport you need your birth certificate hehe gl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samuijimmy Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 It certainly partly depends on which Province, you are from . BC Medical gave me a right run around in paper work, if I remember correctly it does tie in to whether you are technically a Canadian resident.... and that ties into your Social Insurance number and how you do your tax returns.... either resident or non resident tax... So mine did expire after 6 months & if I was to return takes 6 months to renew in BC..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nongkhai Posted March 26, 2011 Share Posted March 26, 2011 (edited) Canadian here, eh. The Op should read this, the rules regarding the status of your BC Med Plan membership while outside Canada, including the absence-more-than-6-month. I'm surprised you didn't look at this (i.e. The Horses Mouth) right off the bat: http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/msp/infoben/leavingbc.html These rules cover the BC Plan only, but I'm quite certain they are reasonably consistent in each province. Bottom line is this however, while away: (1) Keep your plan premiums up to date (2) Make doctor/hospital visits when you go back (don't offer your absence, no one will ask) (3) Don't claim Canadian reimbursement of Thailand medical expenses. In Extremis: If you get really really sick and have to go back to Canada for treatment after a longer than 6 month absence, it's not really too large of an issue: There is a couple of months in-province waiting period (2 months plus balance of applying month), then you can start your Medical plan up again with no problem. And no, you won't go to jail for being naughty. It's Canada, after all. Edited March 26, 2011 by nongkhai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxYakov Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I guess you want to get all the opinions here before referencing a Canadian Embassy/consulate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikebike Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I went back to Ontario after 4 years and got NO HEALTH CARE told to buy private insurance for the 3 month waiting period for OHIP to kick back in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canadianasia Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Should have added, Imigration and or customs does not report your length of stay out of the country, yes it may be in their computers, but you do not go thru immigration or customs, when you leave Canada, only when you return, if you are a Canadian. you are 100% correct, been here for 6 years, go home once and a while and have a check etc, no issues. UNLESS YOU ADVISE them on their website !!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidARoss Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Yes your health care will run out and if you are out of the country over 181 days you will l have to do a different set of income tax forms and you might be subject to a 25% tax on your income plus you cannot collect the gst rebate and if you did you will have to pay that back. I know because I've lived here for 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsj Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 As I far I know if you continue paying your medical plan monthly, depending what province you are in, as I live in BC and I pay monthly, then you will be fine. If you stop paying you then you won't have coverage until 3 months after you started paying your premiums.<br> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungostjohn Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 This has always annoyed me about Thai visa. Nobody has facts, everyone has an opinion. How long can I be absent from Canada and still maintain my OHIP coverage? You may be temporarily outside of Canada for a total of 212 days in any 12 month period and still maintain your OHIP coverage as long as your primary place of residence is still in Ontario. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colabamumbai Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 (edited) This has always annoyed me about Thai visa. Nobody has facts, everyone has an opinion. How long can I be absent from Canada and still maintain my OHIP coverage? You may be temporarily outside of Canada for a total of 212 days in any 12 month period and still maintain your OHIP coverage as long as your primary place of residence is still in Ontario. Fact: I spent five years out of the country, from Ontario, went back and went for a hospital visit, they scanned my health card no problem......Fact not fiction. Edited March 28, 2011 by Colabamumbai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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