# Medical Coverage Question - Is a provincal health card still required?



## Ayrsayle (16 Sep 2011)

Hello everyone - I'm somewhat confused as to the information I have received from two sources, hoping someone can clarify or point me in the direction for clarification. I've taken a look using the search but did not find this particular situation addressed.

I've just had my enrollment date, signed all the documents, etc. On the enrollment I was informed (at least, this is what I understood) that provincial health care cards are no longer applicable to me and that I will be using a new military care card. I was also advised to contact the provincial health care authority in order to cancel my current existing plan.

I've also just received a phone call from a benefits clerk in St. Jean earlier today regarding my common-law partner's coverage (Told to bring along a copy of her birth cert, provincial health card, etc). Seemed pretty straightforward. I asked if I needed to bring in MY existing health care card in order to have the transition from provincal to military coverage covered, etc and was informed that I needed to bring mine along as well - as my health care costs in the future would be 50% covered. I am not sure I understood quite what she was getting at. (in fairness, she had a very strong french accent and I may have missed something she said, or vice versa)

Could this just be in reference to my Common-law partner or will I be retaining my provincial card as well as a Military one? Do I need to bring along my provincial card to Basic or just my partners?

Thank you in advance - running off of two different stories, something must have been misunderstood on my end.


----------



## MikeL (16 Sep 2011)

You do not need a provincial health card for yourself once you are in the CF, you will be given a Military Blue Cross one.  I would keep the provencial one untill you get the Blue Cross one, then cancel your provincial.

As for your common-law, I've never dealt with that, so I'll leave that to someone else.


----------



## MJP (16 Sep 2011)

Ayrsayle said:
			
		

> Hello everyone - I'm somewhat confused as to the information I have received from two sources, hoping someone can clarify or point me in the direction for clarification. I've taken a look using the search but did not find this particular situation addressed.
> 
> I've just had my enrollment date, signed all the documents, etc. On the enrollment I was informed (at least, this is what I understood) that provincial health care cards are no longer applicable to me and that I will be using a new military care card. I was also advised to contact the provincial health care authority in order to cancel my current existing plan.
> 
> ...



To add to Skeletor's response-  Your Spouse remains covered  under whatever province you live in.  You will be given an opportunity to enroll your spouse (and kids) in the Public Service Health care Plan(PSHCP) for additional coverage for dental and other things that provincial plans don't pay for.  I would recommend you do this as it is cheap for what you get.


----------



## Pusser (17 Sep 2011)

MJP said:
			
		

> To add to Skeletor's response-  Your Spouse remains covered  under whatever province she lives in.  You will be given an opportunity to enroll your spouse (and kids) in the Public Service Health care Plan(PSHCP) and the Canadian Forces Dependants Dental Care Plan (CFDDCP)for additional coverage for dental and other things that provincial plans don't pay for.  I would recommend you do this as it is cheap for what you get.



Fixed a few things.

Now I'll add a bit.  Key points to remember:

1)  Once enroled in the Regular  Force, you (the CF member) are covered 100% for all medical and dental care by the CF.  In fact you have no entitlement whatsoever through any provincial medical.  To use your provincial health card to obtain services is actually fraud.

2)  The CF provides absolutely no medical or dental care to dependants of CF members (precisely the opposite of what the US Armed Forces do, so don't look to US movies and TV as your guide on this).

3)  Dependants of CF members need to be enrolled in the provincial plan of whatever province they are living in.  This means changing plans and getting new health cards each time you change provinces.  Most provinces impose a 60 day waiting period for new arrivals to be able to make a claim in the new province.  However, your old province will normally provide coverage for that 60 day period.  Ontario no longer imposes this 60 day waiting period on CF families.  

4)  Some provinces (e.g. BC) charge a provincial premium through payroll deduction.  If the CF spouse is not paying this through his/her job, then the CF member needs to do this, even though the member cannot actually make a claim (but his/her dependants can).  When you leave such a province, you need to ensure that the Pay Office stops paying this premium (but not necessarily right away if you still need coverage from that province).

5)  The PSHCP and CFDDCP are employer supported private insurance plans that provide the additional coverage that the provincial plans do not.  You need to fill out forms (either at St Jean or when you acquire dependants later) and enrol in these insurance plans.  There is a monthly charge ($4.00 for max coverage) against your pay account for the PSHCP, but the CFDDCP is free.  Again, these plans are for dependants, not currently serving Regular Force CF members.   There is a 60 day waiting period for the PSHCP to kick in (not sure on CFDDCP) after enrollment (but not every time you move), so don't give up any private plans right away.  If your spouse has his/her own insurance plans through his/her employment, you may want to consider dropping those plans as tend to be more expensive with no greater benefit.  In my case, my wife does not have coverage under her work plan, which is much more expensive (around $50.00 per pay) for less coverage.  She also receives extra pay in lieu of benefits, so it's win win for us.

6)  Yes, those of us who live in Ontario have to pay the Ontario Health Premium, which appears on our income tax return.  It sucks and we shouldn't have to, but that's the law in Ontario and the Federal Government has not stepped in to exempt CF members.  The official DND/CF position on this is that we have to pay it.


----------



## CountDC (20 Sep 2011)

to add a little more (besides agreeing that paying the Ontario extra tax I mean Health Premium)....

If your spouse has a health plan at work look carefully at both plans prior to cancelling it.  I have known some people to keep both plans going due to their unique situation including the low cost of the spouses plan. When you do this you can claim expenses on the spouses plan and then whatever is not covered claim on your plan.  let's say your spouses plan will pay 70% and ours will pay 85% of expenses in a case where you have $2k to claim.  Spouse claims it and is paid $1400.  You then claim the remaining $600 and are paid $510.  You have saved $210.  

Of course not everyone will benefit in such a way - $50 per pay and less coverage would be of no benefit unless you have a large family and a lot of health issues that create big claims.  Don't forget if you have kids dental can be a real big one.

So - look carefully and consider everything before opting out of a plan. It may just be to your benefit to keep it.

Oh - contact SISIP about the life insurance.


----------



## justmyalias (2 Mar 2012)

Pusser said:
			
		

> ...
> 1)  Once enroled in the Regular  Force,
> ...


What about Class A & B <180?

How does the Blue Cross card come into play then?




btw:
If anybody knows the answers to the fol other questions I would appreciate a heads up.  Been a week and I'm not getting anywhere.

MED:
PSHCP Seems to be available as self-paid option for Dependants, confirm?  Does this then cover the mbr?  Or where do we seek tmt and svcs?  Military Clinic?  or Civvy?
DENT:
What about Dental coverage?  Does it change when you go from B180+ to B<180/A? GreatWestLife that is.  AFAIremember, we can go to the Dent U only when we're working, otherwise we go to a civvy clinic, but is it covered just the same?


----------



## SentryMAn (2 Mar 2012)

Reserves works differently.

1. Class A you retain provincial coverage and not CF coverage.  While on training/work anything that happens to you is covered by the CF.
2. Class B, please see #1. above.

This was what I was told/had while I was a serving member as a reservist.


----------



## justmyalias (2 Mar 2012)

SentryMAn] said:
			
		

> A, so by CF Coverage, you mean..BlueCross or Seen at the clinic? You don't get seen at the military clinic?  Yes I know that, or are you saying the BlueCross coverage is suspended/void till...?
> B-don't really care, but where above? lol.  I don't see where <180 entitlement with BLueCross is dicussed.


----------



## SentryMAn (2 Mar 2012)

justmyalias said:
			
		

> A, so by CF Coverage, you mean..BlueCross or Seen at the clinic? You don't get seen at the military clinic?  Yes I know that, or are you saying the BlueCross coverage is suspended/void till...?
> B-don't really care, but where above? lol.  I don't see where <180 entitlement with BLueCross is dicussed.*You should, as any full time training you do is on class B service*



You will not be covered by Blue Cross, you will have access to the Base medical services like every other member of the CF.


----------



## beach_bum (2 Mar 2012)

Blue cross is only for Reg F, Class C, and Class B over 180 days.


----------



## justmyalias (2 Mar 2012)

^ That's what I've always known., Thank you,

Hence asking if there's a self-pay option for when you *don't* meet those criteria.  IF not, then you basically have no use for it ever again, till you meet them down the road yes?


----------



## dapaterson (2 Mar 2012)

justmyalias said:
			
		

> ^ That's what I've always known., Thank you,
> 
> Hence asking if there's a self-pay option for when you *don't* meet those criteria.  IF not, then you basically have no use for it ever again, till you meet them down the road yes?



Yes.  You pay the employer and employee shaers, and claim back, each Feb/March, a proportion of the premiums based on your parading in the prior year.

There's a CF manual for the PSHCP.  DWAN link:  http://cmp-cpm.forces.mil.ca/dgcb/dpsp/pshcp_manual_e/engraph/pshcp_manual_etb_e.asp

Chapter 2 is the detailed instructions on claiming the rebate.


----------

