Medicare coverage was cut off due to residency concerns that they were not informed of by provincial body
“No one called to say this paper was missing or could you provide more proof. I would have done that, no problem. But this just came out of nowhere.”
The words of Mark Hoyek after Quebec’s health insurance board cut off his medicare coverage, as well as that of his pregnant wife, Sandra Tomb, and their two toddlers, Alexander and Christopher.
According to CBC News, their problems began when Tomb tried to renew her medicare card in November. A few weeks later, she received a letter from the provincial health insurance board, RAMQ, asking her for proof of residence.
Tomb, a Canadian citizen, moved to Quebec from Lebanon as a child. Hoyek became a permanent resident in 2014. The entire family has been living in Blainville, a suburb north of Montreal, for nearly four years, leaving only for a few short vacations. The two toddlers were born at the Lakeshore Hospital on the West Island.
In 2012, Tomb stayed with Hoyek in Lebanon for more than 182 days, the maximum time Quebecians are allowed to leave the province and maintain their health coverage. When she returned in January 2013 and requested that her card be renewed, she was told it was no problem: once every seven years, Quebec residents can exceed the 182-day limit and not lose their coverage. She submitted some documents the board asked her for, and her card was renewed shortly thereafter.
When she asked about the letter asking for proof of residence, RAMQ assured her that it was just a random spot check and that she had nothing to worry about. Tomb and Hoyek sent copies of phone and hydro bills, along with the deed to their condo.
Several weeks passed, during which Tomb could not book prenatal and ultrasound appointments. She followed up three times, but was just told to wait without any other information.
In January, the family received the letters telling them to surrender their cards. The letters also told them to retroactively pay back any medical care and drug expenses they’d gotten under their insurance. For Tomb, it goes back to 2013; for Hoyek, it goes back to 2014. Tomb is worried that the bill would run as high as $50,000.
After contacting RAMQ to appeal the decision, Tomb was told to produce as much evidence of their residency as possible. Hoyek sent hundreds of documents to the board, who around two weeks ago said their case is being reviewed as a priority.
RAMQ has 90 days to review an appeal, which is little comfort to the family as they await the decision. “None should go through what we went through,” Hoyek said. “A minute feels like an hour and an hour feels like a day.”
Related stories:
Manitoba man, expecting provincial coverage, faces huge US medical bill
Ottawa facing court action over denied dental claim
The words of Mark Hoyek after Quebec’s health insurance board cut off his medicare coverage, as well as that of his pregnant wife, Sandra Tomb, and their two toddlers, Alexander and Christopher.
According to CBC News, their problems began when Tomb tried to renew her medicare card in November. A few weeks later, she received a letter from the provincial health insurance board, RAMQ, asking her for proof of residence.
Tomb, a Canadian citizen, moved to Quebec from Lebanon as a child. Hoyek became a permanent resident in 2014. The entire family has been living in Blainville, a suburb north of Montreal, for nearly four years, leaving only for a few short vacations. The two toddlers were born at the Lakeshore Hospital on the West Island.
In 2012, Tomb stayed with Hoyek in Lebanon for more than 182 days, the maximum time Quebecians are allowed to leave the province and maintain their health coverage. When she returned in January 2013 and requested that her card be renewed, she was told it was no problem: once every seven years, Quebec residents can exceed the 182-day limit and not lose their coverage. She submitted some documents the board asked her for, and her card was renewed shortly thereafter.
When she asked about the letter asking for proof of residence, RAMQ assured her that it was just a random spot check and that she had nothing to worry about. Tomb and Hoyek sent copies of phone and hydro bills, along with the deed to their condo.
Several weeks passed, during which Tomb could not book prenatal and ultrasound appointments. She followed up three times, but was just told to wait without any other information.
In January, the family received the letters telling them to surrender their cards. The letters also told them to retroactively pay back any medical care and drug expenses they’d gotten under their insurance. For Tomb, it goes back to 2013; for Hoyek, it goes back to 2014. Tomb is worried that the bill would run as high as $50,000.
After contacting RAMQ to appeal the decision, Tomb was told to produce as much evidence of their residency as possible. Hoyek sent hundreds of documents to the board, who around two weeks ago said their case is being reviewed as a priority.
RAMQ has 90 days to review an appeal, which is little comfort to the family as they await the decision. “None should go through what we went through,” Hoyek said. “A minute feels like an hour and an hour feels like a day.”
Related stories:
Manitoba man, expecting provincial coverage, faces huge US medical bill
Ottawa facing court action over denied dental claim
