NOWblog Forum

Our members, like members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and CIDA, are usually covered by private health insurance while they are working abroad. Our understanding is that the Federal Civil Service continues to pay insurance for its employees until they are once again covered by their provincial health insurance, and CIDA also includes a clause in most of its contracts for executing agencies requiring them to provide health insurance for employees working overseas throughout the term of the contract plus the waiting period. However, our members can be contracted for a multitude of international development organizations  bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental  and their coverage usually ends when the contract ends. As this usually coincides with their return to Canada they are thus without coverage for the duration of the waiting period.

We believe that it is unfair to deem Canadians resident for tax purposes and then deny them services for which they have paid. CAIDC would like to see all provinces set up provisions to allow Canadians working overseas but deemed fiscally resident (and their families) to be immediately reinstated into their provincial health insurance systems when they return to Canada.