How To Apply For A Newfoundland Health Card 2023 (A Simple Guide)

As a new immigrant to Newfoundland & Labrador, one of your first jobs should be to apply for a Newfoundland health card. This card records your Newfoundland health number and is proof of your eligibility for free healthcare under Newfoundland’s Medical Care Plan (MCP).

You must provide your Newfoundland health card whenever you access healthcare in Newfoundland. You will also need it when registering with a family doctor.

In this post, we will give you an overview of the Canadian and Newfoundland healthcare systems and explain how to apply for a Newfoundland health card in simple terms.

For more information on Canadian health care and other provincial health cards, refer to our article on applying for health cards in Canada.

Table of Contents

Canadian Healthcare – An Overview

Canada’s excellent healthcare system provides free primary care to eligible residents. Healthcare is publicly funded and administered at the provincial level. The provincial systems operate similarly, but there is some variation in coverage.

Your provincial plan will provide basic coverage while travelling within other provinces and territories. However, if you move province permanently, you must re-register for healthcare with your new province.

How To Apply For A Newfoundland Health Card – The Basics

The following sections explain how to apply for Newfoundland Health Card in more detail, but some basic facts about the process are provided below:

Health Plan Name	MCP
Cost of Application	Free
Ongoing Insurance Cost	Free
Application Methods	Mail, Fax, Drop-Off
Processing Time	Approx 2 Weeks
In-Person Locations	None*
Wait Period (moving from outside Canada)	None
Wait Period (moving from within Canada)	2-3 months

Apply For A Newfoundland Health Card – The Basic Facts
* In-Person Applications Currently Not Available Due To Covid

Who Is Eligible For Newfoundland Medical Care Plan?

If you are legally entitled to live in Canada and plan to make Newfoundland your permanent home, you will be eligible for a Medical Care Plan or MCP Newfoundland.

Alternatively, you may be eligible if you are in Canada on a temporary work or study permit. However, you must prove that your stay is for at least a year and provide additional documentation.

Who Isn’t Eligible For Newfoundland Medical Care Plan?

If you are a student from another province or territory and plan to return to your home province after your studies, you won’t be eligible for MCP Newfoundland. However, you will still receive coverage from your home province in Newfoundland.

What Is The Wait Period For Newfoundland Medical Care Plan?

If you move to Newfoundland from overseas, there is no waiting period for coverage, and you should apply for your health cards soon after you arrive.

However, there is a wait time for people who move to Newfoundland from another province. In this situation, your coverage won’t start until the 1st day of the 3rd month following the date you became a resident.

For example, if you become a permanent Newfoundland resident on July 12th, your coverage will start on October 1st.

You will continue to receive basic coverage from your previous province or territory in the interim period.

What Documentation Will I Need To Apply For MCP Newfoundland?

To apply for a Newfoundland Health Card, you must provide documentation to prove that you have a right to reside in Canada. Some acceptable documents are listed below:

Unexpired Canadian Passport
Canadian Birth Certificate
Permanent resident card

If you are in Newfoundland on a temporary visa, you will need to provide the following THREE documents:

Work or study permit valid for at least 12 months
Valid passport
Letter from university or employer

You can send original documents; photocopies will also be accepted.

How To Apply For A Newfoundland Health Card

A Family Doctor Examines A Young Patient After Apply For Newfoundland Health Card In Canada — Apply for A Newfoundland Health Card

You can download an application form to apply for a Newfoundland health card from the NL government website. The completed application (along with your documents) can then be mailed, faxed or dropped off at either of the following locations:

Grand Falls-Windsor Office: MCP
22 High Street, PO Box 5000
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, A2A 2Y4
Telephone: 709-292-4000 Toll Free: 1-800-563-1557 Facsimile: 709-292-4052

St. John’s Office: MCP
45 Major’s Path, PO Box 8700
St. John’s, NL, A1B 4J6
Telephone: 709-758-1600 Toll Free: 1-866-449-4459 Facsimile: 709-758-1694

At the time of writing, the above offices were closed for in-person applications due to COVID-19. However, both locations have drop boxes.

What Is Covered By Newfoundland Medical Care Plan?

MCP Newfoundland will cover you for medically necessary healthcare services such as:

visits to a physician’s office, hospital or beneficiary’s residence
surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, including anesthesia
pre-and post-operative care
complete maternity care
radiology interpretive services
Specific surgical-dental procedures which are medically necessary to be performed in a hospital by a dentist or oral surgeon

What Isn’t Covered By Newfoundland Medical Care Plan?

MCP Newfoundland won’t cover you for the following services:

Prescriptions
ambulance services or other transportation
surgery for cosmetic purposes
eye examinations for corrective lenses
routine dental services
services provided by chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, naturopaths, osteopaths, physiotherapists, nurses or other paramedical personnel
sex change surgery, unless recommended by the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry

Although the Newfoundland Medical Care Plan doesn’t cover prescriptions, some people receive coverage under a supplementary Drug Prescription Program (NLPDP). These plans assist the following groups of people:

Low-income families
Seniors
Those with especially high prescription costs
Those with certain medical conditions

All of the above require additional applications to be submitted.

Finally, many Canadians have private supplementary insurance for medical services not covered by the provincial plan. For example, employers often provide supplementary health coverage in their benefits packages, or you can acquire coverage personally.

How Do I Register With A Family Doctor In Newfoundland?

Once you have received your MCP cards, you can register with a family doctor. You are free to register with any doctor who is taking on new patients.

If you need guidance, the Find A Doctor NL website provides details of doctors in NL who are accepting new patients.

Are health cards free in Canada?

Health cards in Canada are provided free of charge to citizens, permanent residents and some temporary residents. A health card is proof of eligibility for free healthcare in Canada. This includes hospital and doctor visits and essential medical treatment.

Can I have health cards in two provinces?

You can’t have health cards in two provinces in Canada; only one province or territory at a time may provide health insurance. When you apply for your new health card, they notify the previous province/territory.

Can I use my health card in another province?

Except Quebec, all territories and provinces have signed an Interprovincial Billing Agreement. This covers you for basic insured hospital and physician services when travelling in Canada. In most areas of Canada, your health care card will be accepted as proof of coverage.
If travelling to Quebec, you must pay any medical costs and then claim reimbursement after returning to your home province.

Does my health card cover me in the US?

Your provincial health insurance may provide limited coverage when you travel in the US. The level of cover varies according to province, and your province is unlikely to pay the total cost. You will also need to pay upfront and submit a claim for reimbursement to your home province.

Do you need private health insurance in Canada?

Private health insurance in Canada is not mandatory, but it can be beneficial for certain services. Private health insurance can cover services excluded from the universal healthcare system, such as prescription drugs, dentistry and cosmetic surgery. In addition, private health insurance plans are available for foreign citizens living in Canada.