International student in Canada.

[whale.]

Hey fellas. This is my first time to start new topic. I am currently in a dilemma.
I am an international student from China and came to Toronto last August.
Now I am still in the secondary school and may attend the university next Sep.
I was diagnosed hiv+ in April and got a lot of tests done. Now what I am facing is the financial problem.
I am not eligible to apply for OHIP because I am not permanent residency. However, expenses matter. I don't understand somehow that BC can provide free medications while Ontario is not able to.
My bf is working in Nova Scotia Province and he is holding a PR card. And we are planning to get married soon.
Could you guys give me any suggestions in terms of hiv+ people immigration. Like what kind of work and documents we need to prepare, how long will it process and what the requirements and policy are. 
Best wishes.

[le_liseur]

Hi whale,

I think you will not be able to find any public coverage in Ontario for medications as an international student. Normally, universities advise their international students to purchase private insurance before leaving their home country.

You can check here to find some public health coverage for international students offered by UHIP (not OHIP), but it doesn't cover meds, except those given while staying at a hospital : http://uhip.ca/intro.aspx

You might be covered for more things with your university health and dental insurance, but it probably won't be much for meds; then again, it will probably vary from university to university.

Also, bear in mind I'm not from Ontario but from another province, so I'm not a specialist! You might find more information if you contact an ASO in Ontario close to you!

++ also understand that all those services and meds are not free! You pay for some of it directly from your pocket when you have monthly fees, and you pay also to the whole system when you pay your taxes. In the end, it's the community that pays for your meds and health services when it is covered by the public insurances.

As for the other part, the marriage, will you be residing in Nova Scotia or Ontario when this happens? You always have to focus on which province you are a resident, since it's different from one place to another.

I do not know about immigration and such tho, you'd be best to consult a lawyer to get exact information.