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Questions &
Answers about social programs
MEDICAL PLAN
 How
do you obtain medical services?
How
do you get a health card?
Who
is eligible to receive a health card?
How
soon are you eligible?
Is
your health card accepted throughout Canada?
How
are medical services paid for?
What
medical services are NOT covered?
INCOME SECURITY
What
kinds of income security benefits are available?
Who
can receive income security benefits?
What
is a Social Insurance Number (SIN)?
CANADA
CHILD TAX BENEFIT
OLD
AGE SECURITY, GUARANTEED INCOME SUPPLEMENT AND SPOUSE'S
ALLOWANCE
CANADA
AND QUEBEC PENSION PLANS
EMPLOYMENT
INSURANCE
SOCIAL
ASSISTANCE
WORKERS'
COMPENSATION
Q: How do you obtain
medical services?
A: Medical services are available from hospitals, doctors and
other health care providers. Persons without health insurance
coverage are charged directly for these services. Insurance
coverage for essential medical services is available to all
Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Each person carries
a personal health card which must be shown at the reception
desk of the doctor or hospital. Each province has its own particular
requirements to obtain a health insurance card so it is important
to contact a provincial ministry of health office in the province
you reside.
Q: How do you get a health
card?
A: You can apply for a health card at the provincial ministry
of health office in your city. You will find the address in
the provincial government listings in your telephone book. Take
with you your birth certificate, Canada Immigration visa (Record
of Landing) and passport. Some provinces also request further
documentation showing your name and address and your signature.
All members of your family must have their own coverage. Take
their documents with you, and ask the government officer for
information about registering them.
Q: Who is eligible to
receive a health card?
A: Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible in
all provinces. Certain persons in Canada for a temporary period
of time (e.g., temporary workers, holders of a Minister's permit,
foreign students, and refugees whose status has been confirmed
by the Immigration Refugee Board) are also eligible in some
provinces. Essential health care services are available to refugee
claimants through the Interim Federal Health Program at Citizenship
and Immigration Canada.
Q: How soon are you eligible?
A: Permanent residents are eligible immediately, except in British
Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick where there is a three-month
waiting period. Persons in Canada temporarily and holding Immigration
Canada documentation (e.g., temporary workers, holders of a
Minister's permit and foreign students) have different waiting
periods, depending on the province. For more information, contact
the provincial ministry of health.
Q: Is your health card
accepted throughout Canada?
A: For permanent residents, your health card is primarily for
use in the province you live in. If you move to another province,
reapply as soon as possible. There are waiting periods before
you can be covered, although you are covered by the health plan
of the province you left for a certain amount of time. If you
are visiting another province, your card can be used in an emergency.
Residents residing in a province for a temporary period should
contact the provincial health insurance plan office in the province
of permanent residence for further clarification concerning
their coverage throughout Canada.
Q: How are medical services
paid for?
A: Most medical services are paid for by various tax measures.
Basic hospital charges and doctors' fees are covered. Two provinces
charge premiums (British Columbia and Alberta). In general,
insured services are provided on a prepaid basis, i.e. provincial
plans pay the hospital or doctor directly for services they
provide to eligible residents.
Q: What medical services
are NOT covered?
A: Provinces do not pay for services that are medically unnecessary,
such as cosmetic surgery. Some provinces provide coverage for
non-medical service coverage, such as prescription drugs and
assistive devices. These may require a co-payment by the patient.
Q: What kinds of income
security benefits are available?
A: Governments at the federal, provincial and municipal level
help people who are unable to provide for themselves and their
families. Special programs help people in different circumstances,
such as: raising children (Canada Child Tax Benefit), retirement
(Canada Pension/Quebec Pension, Old Age Security and Guaranteed
Income Supplement), job-related injuries (Workers' Compensation),
the loss of a job (Employment Insurance), longer-term unemployment
(Social Assistance).
Q: Who can receive income
security benefits?
A: Most benefits are for people in specific circumstances. You
must qualify for each type of government assistance. For some
benefits, you must pay into the plan to be eligible to receive
them. Sometimes, a person or family may qualify for more than
one kind of income security, but each has separate application
or procedures and rules to ensure that benefits only go to those
who need them. To qualify for any benefits, you must have a
Social Insurance Number.
Q: What is a Social
Insurance Number (SIN)?
A: A Social Insurance Number (SIN) is an identification number
given to each person for the purposes of income tax, Employment
Insurance, old age pension, etc. Most newcomers receive an application
form for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) when they first arrive
in Canada. If you did not get one, you can apply at any Human
Resource Centre of Canada (HRCC). You will need to show your
birth certificate, Canada Immigration visa (Record of Landing)
and passport. There is a small administrative fee. Forms are
also available at Canada Post offices and through many immigrant-serving
agencies.
CANADA CHILD TAX BENEFIT
The federal government provides monthly payments to parents
or guardians on behalf of children under the age of 18, through
a program called the Canada Child Tax Benefit. It is usually
paid to the mother of the child if the child lives with her.
The amount is different according to family income, number of
children and their ages.
Who is eligible?
To be considered for the Canada Child Tax Benefit
you must be the parent or guardian of the child who lives
with you. In addition, you or your spouse must be either:
- Canadian citizen,
- Permanent resident,
- Convention refugee in Canada whose refugee status has been
confirmed by the Immigration Refugee Board,
- or Visitor or holder of a Minister's Permit under the Immigration
Act, who has lived at least 18 continuous months in Canada
before applying for the Benefit.
How do you apply?
Send an application form to the Canada Customs
and Revenue Agency and show documents such as Record of Landing
or passport. Proof of birth must also be provided for each
child. You may also contact a Client Service Centre, Income
Security Program, Human Resources Development Canada. For
further information, look in the government pages of your
telephone book.
OLD AGE SECURITY, GUARANTEED
INCOME SUPPLEMENT AND SPOUSE'S ALLOWANCE
The Old Age Security (OAS) pension is given to people 65 and
over who meet residence requirements. Those who have little
or no other income may be eligible for the Guaranteed Income
Supplement (GIS). The spouse (between the ages of 60 and 64)
of a low income or deceased pensioner may qualify for the Spouse's
Allowance (SPA).
Who is eligible?
If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
who has lived in Canada for 40 years after the age of 18,
you are eligible for a full OAS pension. People who have lived
in Canada for less than 40 years may get a reduced pension.
Permanent residents from some countries may be able to receive
old age security from their previous country of residence.
Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) and Spouse's Allowance
(SPA) are available to people who can prove they need the
money.
How do you apply?
You can apply to a client Service Centre, Income
Security Program Branch of Human Resources Development Canada.
You will find these listed in the government pages of the
telephone book. You will need a birth or baptismal certificate,
passport or Canada Immigration visa (Record of Landing).
CANADA AND QUEBEC PENSION
PLANS
Canada and Quebec Pension Plans are a form of insurance to which
people must contribute during their working years, to receive
monthly payments starting at age 65. A reduced pension is available
at age 60. These plans also include survivor's pensions for
the spouses of deceased pensioners, disability pensions and
children's and death benefits.
Who is eligible?
- Canadian citizens,
- permanent residents,
- visitors
- and holders of a Minister's Permit who have been legally
admitted to Canada for one year, whose income that year was
subject to Canadian income tax and who contributed to the
plan.
The amount paid out will depend on the total amount contributed.
How do you apply?
You can apply to a Client Service Centre, Income
Security Programs, Human Resources Development Canada. You
will find these listed in the government pages of the telephone
book. You will need a birth or baptismal certificate, passport
or Canada Immigration visa (Record of Landing).
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
Who is eligible?
You are eligible if you have made payments to Employment
Insurance (EI) while you were working over a minimum time,
and if you lose your job through no fault of your own. You
may also be eligible for benefits if your reason of unemployment
is the birth or adoption of a child, enrolment in a national
training program, work sharing or job training.
How do you apply?
You must apply to the Human Resource Centre of
Canada (HRCC) nearest you. Consult the government directory
pages of the telephone book.
SOCIAL ASSISTANCE
Social Assistance, often called welfare, helps people in need
who are not eligible for other benefits. Benefit payments help
pay for food, shelter, fuel, clothing, prescription drugs, and
other health services. Eligibility rules and the size of payment
are different from region to region. In some cases, you may
be eligible for programs to train you for the work that is available.
Social Assistance is usually administered though local offices
of the provincial or municipal departments of social services.
WORKERS' COMPENSATION
People injured while at work may be eligible to receive financial
benefits, medical and rehabilitative services. The provincial
Workers' Compensation Board offices decide if you qualify for
compensation, based on medical reports and proof that your injury
was work-related.
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B213 - 2099 Lougheed Hwy, Shaughnessy Square, Port Coquitlam, BC.V3B1A8 Canada.
