Canada's World Renown Health Program

One of the most impressive benefits of becoming a Permanent Resident is receiving Health Insurance in Canada. All Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for health insurance in Canada. Canada’s public health care system is funded through taxes that you pay and administered by the provinces and territories that you will decide to live in.



Public health insurance

Each province or Territory has a different coverage for your Health insurance. The medical care your province or territory offers might not be covered in other provinces and territories. That is why, When you travel, you should check the coverage of the Health insurance in your possession as well as the requirements of the place you are destined to go; you may require private health insurance.

As a Newly landed Permanent Resident in Canada you should apply for public health insurance as soon as possible

The application for Public health insurance card should be coursed through the provincial or territorial government of the place you decided to immigrate to.

You can get your application forms at a doctor’s office, a hospital, a pharmacy or an immigrant-serving organization. You can also get forms online from your province or territory’s ministry responsible for health.

What are your required documents to apply for Health Insurance?

When you apply for your health insurance card you will need to show some identification,like your birth certificate or passport, or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR - IMM 5292). You can also show your Permanent Resident Card.

What you will be receiving after you apply

In most provinces and territories, each individual or family member receives their very own Health card with a personal health identification number. In Manitoba, however, only adults receive health insurance cards. The adult card lists each family member’s name and personal identification number.

Your health insurance card will show your name, address, gender and birth date. It is very important that you must carry the card with you and present it at a hospital or clinic when you or someone in your family needs health services.

Health Card application processing Time

Depending on which province or territory you decided to make as your new home, it may be necessary for you to get a temporary Private Health Insurance, since the processing of your Public Health Insurance make take some time.

Private insurance companies are listed in the yellow pages of a telephone Directory, usually under Insurance. You must buy this private insurance within five days of arriving in your province or territory or insurance companies may not provide coverage for you.

Note: Refugee claimants who cannot afford private health insurance and refugee claimants living in provinces that have a three-month waiting period can receive emergency and essential health services at no cost. The cost for these services is covered by the Interim Federal Health Program.

Private health insurance

It is also important to know that private health insurance may have additional service coverage that may not be present under your province or territory’s health insurance plan. Such as dental costs, private hospital rooms, the cost of prescription drugs, dental care, ambulance services and prescription eyeglasses. Some employers may offer you the option to pay for extra health insurance from your pay cheque.

That is why you should make it a point to find a list of private health insurance companies.

Warning: Do not lose or share your card

Please do not share your health insurance card with anyone else. Your card is for your use only, if you do not heed this warning, you could lose the benefits it provides by letting other people use it. You could also face criminal charges and be removed from Canada. If you lose the card, you might have to pay a fee to replace it.

You may Visit a the website of your provincial or Territorial ministries of health care, to learn more about Health Care in Canada.

British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut