Canadian Expat Health Insurance - Here's What You Need to Know

Every year, thousands of Canadian expats go abroad for extended periods. Most Canadians are aware that their provincial medical plan provides limited benefits when travelling overseas.

Plus, if Canadians have been outside Canada for a prolonged period and return to Canada, they may lose access to the government health insurance plan (GHIP) in their province. Meaning they will need to wait to regain access to their GHIP plan.

As a result, many Canadians choose to purchase insurance to cover their time abroad. They also may choose to cover the time it takes to regain access to their provincial GHIP.

Whether you are a Canadian moving abroad or an expat returning to Canada, we will provide some information you need to know to ensure you are covered if you need to seek medical treatment.

Canadian travel insurance is limited to Canadian residents. The Canadian government considers residents to be those who stay in Canada for at least 183 days (6 months) or more. 

If you are planning to travel outside of Canada for more than 6 months or are moving overseas for work or study, an expatriate travel insurance policy is necessary. 

You can generate an expat insurance quote on our expatriate and backpackers insurance page. 

A problem often arises when Canadians return home from an extended period abroad.  

Many are unaware that they are not immediately covered by provincial health care. In fact, many provinces impose a three-month waiting period on new and returning residents.  

Even in other provinces, it takes time to apply for and receive provincial medical coverage.  If a returning resident has a medical emergency soon after returning to Canada, medical services may not be covered. Moreover, returning Canadians who have only come home for a short visit will not be covered by any provincial medical plan. 

Without insurance to cover your return to Canada, you may end up paying out of pocket if you need to seek medical treatment before your GHIP re-enrollment. 

To cover your time in Canada prior to enrolling in GHIP, you should consider purchasing insurance. You can generate a returning Canadian insurance quote here. 

If you are planning to leave Canada for more than 6 months, here are some essential tips to help you stay medically covered no matter where you are. 

Most provinces will allow residents a waiver for extended trips, meaning Canadians can remain covered by provincial medical care for up to one year.  Depending on your province, you may need to continue to pay provincial medical premiums. 

Before leaving Canada, purchase an expatriate policy covering your entire trip overseas. You should also include an extra three months while waiting for provincial medical care to resume.  If you remain overseas longer than planned, be sure to renew your policy before it expires or purchase an alternate insurance policy.  If you decide to return home early, many policies will refund part of your premium if you have not made a claim.  However, be aware of international policies that may not cover you in Canada.

If you are covered by foreign government or private insurance, see if you can extend it for an extra three months before returning to Canada so that you have insurance while waiting for provincial medical coverage to begin. 

If you have developed a new medical problem, wait until your condition is stable before returning to Canada. If you wait, you may be able to purchase visitors to Canada insurance with a low stability period to cover your medical condition in Canada while you wait for GHIP re-enrollment. The stability period for some visitors to Canada policies is as short as seven or even one day. 

If you have to return to Canada without insurance and know that you will need immediate medical attention, move to one of the provinces that does not have a wait time.  This may involve establishing a temporary residence there and moving to another province later.