Health Insurance Question for Canadians
Hi,
I have Alberta Health Care, and I know that when I move to Doha, there will be comprehensive health insurance provided. I am wondering if I should still keep paying for my Alberta Health Care, or put it on hold. What did you do when you moved to Doha?
Thanks and have a great day!
:-)
You can hang on to it if you like, but if the Alberta Health plan does not cover non-residents for a certain period of time once you are non-resident (see my previous post), you're out of luck. Contact them and ask what the rules are.
I think I should hang on to it and not cancel. When I do get the opportunity to come home I would want to make sure I'm covered, should anything happen, which hopefully won't!
Will your health insurance coverage here in Qatar cover you when you visit Canada? (I'm assuming that you will go home for vacations annually)
If not, will you be able to avail of Alberta health care services when you are in Canada? Most provinces restrict non-resident's coverage for a certain number of months after they arrive back in Canada - some provinces are as short as 3 months, others 6 months. Check it out.
I believe most provinicial health care providers consider you to be non-resident for health care coverage if you reside outside of Canada more than 181 days per calendar year - but I stand to be corrected on that point.
It would really depend on your employer and their insurance. For example, we have Aetna which covers us in Doha and the US (and anywhere else.) But if your employer only offers the Qatar health card I believe you are only convered at Hamad Hospital, the gov't facility. In that case it would be worth it to keep your insurance.