STATUS
Prior to 1990, almost all Canadian citizens were required to be in province for four months in order to maintain their health coverage. Currently, provinces except British Columbia, Newfoundland, Quebec, and Ontario require a snowbird to reside for 183 days within the province in order to maintain his or her provincial health insurance coverage.

A Newfoundland resident may be out of province for up to eight months within a calendar year.

A Quebec resident is required to be physically present within the province for 183 days, but is also allowed an unlimited number of short-term trips not in excess of 21 days anywhere in the world.

British Columbia, however, has provided the public with a written brochure, wherein it states that "you must be physically present in Canada at least six months in a calendar year and continue to maintain your home in B.C."

An Ontario resident is required to be physically present within the province for 153 days in order to maintain provincial health insurance coverage.

Alberta is the only province whose legislation does not explicitly state that residency is determined by a specified number of days. Rather, its legislation merely states that a resident must be "ordinarily present in Alberta."

The Alberta Ministry of Health is of the view that the phrase, "ordinarily present in Alberta" means 183 days within a calendar year, and may allow certain exceptions in excess of this amount, on prior application to the Ministry to be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Some provinces may allow short-term trips in excess of 183 days, however this is a matter of administrative discretion, rather than legislation.

For example, the provinces of Saskatchewan

PAST CSA SUCCESS
(a) The CSA successfully lobbied the Ontario government to change its annual residency requirement from 182 days to 153 days, in order for an Ontario resident to maintain his or her provincial health insurance coverage, which became effective as of March 1, 1999.

(b) The CSA, in co-operation with other seniors' groups successfully lobbied and prevented the New Brunswick government from continuing with its plan to reduce residency requirements outside the province from 183 days to 90 days.

(c) After a consultative effort put forth by members of the CSA Board of Directors, British Columbia amended its 183-day residency rule, to allow its residents unlimited travel within Canada over and above 182 days, provided they are in the country for at least six months each year.