Medical, Dental and Optical Treatment
Exchange Officers.
Your primary health care provider is the Canadian Forces. As members of the British armed forces permanently stationed in Canada you will receive treatment deemed necessary for medical, dental or for operational reasons at Canadian Forces medical and dental facilities.

If it is not possible to attend a Canadian Forces medical or dental facility due to geographical remoteness, urgency, or it is not practical or safe to do so, then, in order to access civilian medical and dental services, Exchange Officers must be in possession of a Blue Cross Card, an example of which can be seen below:

Failure to carry the Blue Cross Card and produce it at civilian hospitals and dentists, may result in the need to present a credit card for pre-treatment authorisation.

Please note that whilst the Blue Cross Card will improve access to care, it is only to be used when directed by your Healthcare Coordinator or Dental detachment Commander; this card does not give you an option to seek care wherever or whenever you chose. The Canadian Forces military hospitals and dental clinics remain the primary care providers.

When you visit a civilian healthcare provider you will be required to sign a claim form giving consent for your health information to be released in confidentiality to the Canadian Forces Health Services. This information will be placed in your medical or dental records.

It is recommended that Exchange Officers obtain and read a copy of the Canadian Forces Health Services Information Guide and Appendix 1 Addresses and Telephone Numbers – Health Services and Dental Clinics, both of which can be obtained from your unit.

Service medical/dental documents are routinely retained in the UK and should be sent to the GAU.

Spouses and Dependents.
Medical Treatment.
When receiving medical treatment please ensure that the relevant administrative team are aware that they should charge you as a resident and not on the “out of country” rate.

Spouses and dependents should apply for coverage under the relevant Provincial Health Plan. Please be aware that there may be a waiting period before coverage begins (often 3 months). If this is the case then you should pay for treatment up front, and then submit a claim form to the GAU. Please note that you may only make claims for treatment that would have normally been covered under the NHS. If in doubt please contact the Global Medical Supportability Cell (GMSC), email: SGDPHC-O-GMSC-GroupMailbox@mod.gov.uk, tel: +44 1543 475 237, prior to receiving treatment. See also: DPHC leaflet and Attachment B-20200428-Defence GlobalPractice eConsult Directions.

Further information on a Province by Province basis can be found by following the relevant link below:
Alberta
www.alberta.ca/ahcip-eligibility.aspx

British Columbia
www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/
health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents

Manitoba
www.gov.mb.ca/health/mhsip/
index.html

New Brunswick
www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/
departments/health/
MedicarePrescriptionDrugPlan/
content/
medicare/ApplyingforaCard.html

Nova Scotia
www.novascotia.ca/dhw/msi/
eligibility.asp

Ontario
https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card

Quebec
https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/
citizens/health-insurance

Registering with a GP.
Please be aware that in some areas sourcing a family GP can be quite difficult. It is advisable to try to register with your predecessor’s GP wherever possible.

Children visiting parents.
School children visiting parents may receive emergency medical and dental treatment in Canada at public expense. However, children of 18 years or older who are visiting at their parents own expense are not covered by Public Funds.

Specialist Treatment.
If at any point specialist or hospital treatment is required that is not covered under the Provincial Health Plan, please contact the Global Medical Supportability Cell (GMSC email: SGDPHC-O-GMSC-ClinGpMailbox@mod.gov.uk) as pre-approval will be required. Please note that you will not be required to do this should emergency treatment be required.

Hospital Treatment.
Hospital fees will be paid up to semi-private rate (i.e. 2 beds to a ward). If a private room is occupied voluntarily, you will be liable to pay the difference between the private and semi-private rate.

Prescriptions.
If these are not provided under the Provincial Health Plan, please claim via JPA as you may be able to claim for these through public funds separately, if they are items that would normally be covered under the NHS.

Vaccinations.
Canadian schools will require that students have a certain level of vaccinations before attending. This can vary school by school and Province by Province. Failure to comply with the requirements set out by the school will likely result in your child(ren) being suspended. You should therefore ensure that you have the vaccination records for your child(ren) and that they are up to date before you leave the UK. It is recommended that they are not packed in your unaccompanied baggage in case there is any delay.

You can claim for vaccinations administered to your children in line with the Canadian immunisation schedule. Following your return to the UK and registration with a primary care provider (DMS or NHS), children are to be assimilated into the UK vaccination schedule following extant UK guidance.

Dental Treatment.
Dental treatment in Canada is extremely expensive and it is essential that you and your family are dentally fit prior to leaving the UK and all routine treatment is completed 6 months prior to posting. Claims cannot be submitted for any dental treatment required in the last 4 months of a posting unless it is an emergency situation.

Please contact the GAU for the most recent DIN(s).

Claims can only be made for NHS standard dental treatment, i.e. check-ups (1 per year for adults and 2 for children under 16), x-rays, cleaning, etc. All non-standard treatment including orthodontics, bridges, additional fillings, crowns, mouth guards, etc., will need prior approval for funding from the UK. Retrospective approval is not normally granted so if in doubt please ensure that you check prior to receiving treatment.

Please note that what is considered to be standard work by a Canadian dentist may not be considered standard under the NHS. You should therefore check if there is any doubt surrounding the treatment required in order to avoid not being able to claim the expense through Public Funds.

Optical Treatment.
If and when replacement is necessary, Service personnel on duty in Canada should be supplied with glasses by the Canadian Forces at no cost to the individual or the British Government.

For dependants, in line with medical and dental treatment, claims can only be made for treatment that would have been offered under the NHS. To check the entitlement for eye care as per the NHS please use the following link:
www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/
Healthcosts/Pages/Eyecarecosts
.aspx

Additional (OTTAWA):
This link may be useful if you are trying to locate a family doctor in the Ottawa area:
https://www.cafconnection.ca/
National-Capital-Region/Adults/Health/Operation-Family-Doc.aspx