Why Canadian Immigrants should have Medical Insurance

Completing the move abroad is one thing, but once you have finished the immigration process there will be many other issues you’ll need to take into consideration. If you are immigrating to Canada, one of the most pressing issues will be health insurance.

If you’ve moved to Canada as a career move or promotion, then you might well find that you have a health insurance package included. However, if you don’t already have some form of health insurance in place then you’ll need to make sure you do.

Everyone hopes that they will stay fit and well, but anyone can be taken ill at any time. The last thing you want after immigrating is to get sick, be thousands of miles from home, and have no means of covering the medical costs.

However, research from Medicare International shows that some 50% of expats do not have medical insurance and this could end up costing someone thousands of dollars if they were to suddenly get taken ill. Immigrants without insurance would not just need to find the cost of emergency treatment; they would also have to find the cost of paying for on-going treatments and medications.

Debbie Purser, managing director of Medicare International, said:

“It’s easy to see how in the rush to get abroad and to get settled into the new job, healthcare insurance can seem like a low priority. Starting work, finding a house and if children are moving, finding a school will all seem more urgent, yet one visit to the hospital can wipe out a year’s savings, wrecking plans. It is never too late to apply – cover can be bought online in minutes to protect for years.”

Even a relatively minor condition could end up costing a small fortune, For instance, something like a back injury or an ankle injury, which are extremely common, could cost a lot of money in physiotherapy and painkilling medications if the injured person isn’t covered by medical insurance.

Immigration should be an exciting time and it should offer up a whole new world of opportunities, but there also needs to be plenty of planning to be prepared for the times when things go wrong.

Health insurance might not be the first thing on a person’s mind when they immigrate overseas but it really should be a priority for the many people from around the world who immigrate to Canada every year.