In doing my research for moving to the DR, I have inquired with OHIP to see what the stipulations are for maintaining coverage in Canada while living abroad (despite the numberous posts about this I wanted to check it out myself). I thought this would be of interest to some others and this is not the information that I have found posted elsewhere on this site (perhaps there have been recent changes).
If you are living abroad and it is not for the purposes of work, study or missionary work, you are considered to be on vacation. When leaving Canada for "vacation" ), you will maintain coverage when you return as long as you return within 7 months (212 days) and as long as you have maintained full-time living in status for the preceeding two years prior to departure. Therefore, if you are absent longer than 7 months your coverage will stop and will not resume until 3 months following your return to Canada on full-time residency. Also, you CANNOT return to Canada every 7 months and maintain your status (which I have seen posted many times). Once you have been gone past 7 months ... that's it folks until you return and then have to wait 3 months for coverage to kick in again.
OHIP told me that you should report to them prior to your departure that you will be absent and when you will be returning. When you do report to them sometimes they will grant you an extension past the 7 months up to 1 year.
If you think you can travel undetected... think again! I asked "well what if we don't notify you and just leave and return whenever we want to get health coverage". I was told that if they find out (and they have their ways -eg. your passport is scanned every time you re-enter the country) they will cut off your coverage for 2 years. At the end of the two years you will have to reapply and then wait the 3 month waiting period.
Therefore is no such thing as living abroad (permanently or longer than 7 months) and maintaining your health coverage in Canada at the same time!
Hope this helps some other people with the same question.
If you are living abroad and it is not for the purposes of work, study or missionary work, you are considered to be on vacation. When leaving Canada for "vacation" ), you will maintain coverage when you return as long as you return within 7 months (212 days) and as long as you have maintained full-time living in status for the preceeding two years prior to departure. Therefore, if you are absent longer than 7 months your coverage will stop and will not resume until 3 months following your return to Canada on full-time residency. Also, you CANNOT return to Canada every 7 months and maintain your status (which I have seen posted many times). Once you have been gone past 7 months ... that's it folks until you return and then have to wait 3 months for coverage to kick in again.
OHIP told me that you should report to them prior to your departure that you will be absent and when you will be returning. When you do report to them sometimes they will grant you an extension past the 7 months up to 1 year.
If you think you can travel undetected... think again! I asked "well what if we don't notify you and just leave and return whenever we want to get health coverage". I was told that if they find out (and they have their ways -eg. your passport is scanned every time you re-enter the country) they will cut off your coverage for 2 years. At the end of the two years you will have to reapply and then wait the 3 month waiting period.
Therefore is no such thing as living abroad (permanently or longer than 7 months) and maintaining your health coverage in Canada at the same time!
Hope this helps some other people with the same question.