Jump to content

      



























Photo

BC Health Coverage for frequent absences from BC?


  • Please log in to reply
5 replies to this topic

#1 Thatcher Smith

Thatcher Smith
  • Member
  • 17 posts

Posted 16 May 2012 - 11:43 PM

As near as I can see, one's BC health coverage is only good if you are physically in BC for more than six months a year.

May I know how those of you who move around frequently prevent against a possible loss of coverage? The question primarily relates to spending larger amounts of time in the States. I believe the travel insurance that most of us customarily purchase for travel there is issued dependent upon holding valid provincial healthcare.

#2 jklymak

jklymak
  • Member
  • 3,514 posts

Posted 17 May 2012 - 05:28 AM

^ I'm pretty sure you have to buy US healthcare if you spend more than 6 mo/y in the US. Good luck getting it if you have any preexisting conditions. Also, travel insurance will only cover you for emergencies, not regular care.

#3 VicHockeyFan

VicHockeyFan
  • Suspended User
  • 52,121 posts

Posted 17 May 2012 - 05:39 AM

You would have to be in an awful bad medical crisis if your condition prevented you from being moved from the US back into Canada after a medical emergency. It's not hard to find a doctor in the US to sign off on your move, the tricky part is affording that move.

If I were you, I'd just self-insure. Be sure you have an available line-of-credit against your home mortgage, ready to immediately draw if you suddenly need $50k to evacuate. It also has to be accessible by a family member, if you are incapacitated.

Don't worry about your US medical bill for care received there, it can be paid after you leave. The key is having enough money to get out, and have your care continued in Canada. That's what trips up most people with big US bills, they didn't have an option to return to Canada after their crisis.

The chance of you ever using it is very, very, very, very small. Thus, for most people of even modest means, it's a more reasonable and far less expensive option that paying hundreds of dollars each time you travel. Tragically, self-insuring is considered risky, "scary" or difficult to most consumers, and of course, there is no business to be made promoting it, so consumers are also ignorant of the basic philosophy of it.
<p><span style="font-size:12px;"><em><span style="color:rgb(40,40,40);font-family:helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">"I don’t need a middle person in my pizza slice transaction" <strong>- zoomer, April 17, 2018</strong></span></em></span>

#4 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,172 posts

Posted 17 May 2012 - 07:26 AM

The IRA has recently started coming after individuals for taxes who approach, not pass, six months total (one or multiple trips) time spent in the country. And if you're there for business purposes, they've started to zero in after even less total time spent in the US. Just something to take into account if you're planning on spending just shy of 6 months in the US.

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#5 LJ

LJ
  • Member
  • 12,701 posts

Posted 17 May 2012 - 07:10 PM

As near as I can see, one's BC health coverage is only good if you are physically in BC for more than six months a year.

May I know how those of you who move around frequently prevent against a possible loss of coverage? The question primarily relates to spending larger amounts of time in the States. I believe the travel insurance that most of us customarily purchase for travel there is issued dependent upon holding valid provincial healthcare.


You can notify BC medical plan and they can give you an extension on your 6 months, up to a year.
You don't have to have underlying medical to get travellers insurance, but they will not pay for whole bill. They will deduct what would normally have been paid by your medical plan.

Travellers medical insurance only covers emergency situations and they will try to get you back to your home province as soon as they can in order to mitigate their costs. If, when you get back you don't have BC med, you're paying the bills.

You can get routine medical services in the US, pay on your own and then submit the bills to BC med. They will pay you for what they would pay for the same treatment in BC. You will be out money.
Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

#6 LJ

LJ
  • Member
  • 12,701 posts

Posted 17 May 2012 - 07:25 PM

The IRA has recently started coming after individuals for taxes who approach, not pass, six months total (one or multiple trips) time spent in the country. And if you're there for business purposes, they've started to zero in after even less total time spent in the US. Just something to take into account if you're planning on spending just shy of 6 months in the US.


Well I certainly wouldn't want the IRA to be coming after me, but I'm not Irish or British so I'm probably OK.

Now, OTH, if you're talking about the IRS, you are partly correct. With the IRS you are allowed to be in the states for 183 days before they will want you to file taxes on your world wide income, you don't want that, unless of course you're a student or something with no WWI. You then have to file your Canadian taxes and tell them about the money the US took from you and hope they count that against your Canadian taxes due. Regardless, if you are going to stay in the US for extended periods over the years you need to file IRS form 8840 and demonstrate that you have a closer connection to Canada.

The other half of the equation is immigration. You are given an automatic 6 month visa when you enter the US directly from Canada, same for Americans coming to Canada. If you go over that six month limit you can be hunted down and escorted out of the country and not allowed back in for a period of time, 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, whatever, at the border agents whim. You don't want this to happen. You can appeal of course, that shouldn't take more than a couple of years to wind it's way through the bureaucracy.

If you are going down to work you better have a work visa or a green card. If not see penalties above.
Life's a journey......so roll down the window and enjoy the breeze.

 



0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users