Eligible residents
You are eligible for Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) coverage if you are:
- legally entitled to be in and remain in Canada and make your permanent home in Alberta
- committed to being physically present in Alberta for at least 183 days in any 12-month period
- not claiming residency or obtaining benefits under a claim of residency in another province, territory or country
- any other person deemed by the regulations to be a resident or temporary resident, not including a tourist, transient or visitor to Alberta
When you move to Alberta from another province or country, there may be a waiting period before you become eligible for coverage under the AHCIP.
If you move to Alberta from another country, and have an immigration document from Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, you may be eligible for AHCIP coverage.
Learn more about:
Non-eligible residents
Non-eligible residents include:
- members of the Canadian Armed Forces
- federal penitentiary inmates
- refugee claimants
- refused or failed refugee claimants
- people with expired immigration documents
Canadian Armed Forces and federal penitentiary inmates receive coverage from the federal government.
Dependants of non-eligible residents who reside in Alberta must be registered with the AHCIP.
Canadian children of refugee claimants, refused or failed refugee claimants, and those with expired immigration documents may be entitled to coverage under the AHCIP providing they reside in Alberta and meet specific requirements.
Find out if your child is eligible.
Dependants
Dependants include:
- married spouses – must register together
- separated spouses – may register together or separately
- divorced spouses – must register separately
- adult interdependent partners – may register together or separately
- single children under the age of 21 and wholly dependent on the parent(s), including adopted children, foster children (if an income tax deduction was claimed) and wards of the court
- in cases of separation or divorce, the custodial parent registers the children
- in cases of joint custody, children are registered on the account of one or the other parent, but not both, as agreed to by both parents
- single children who are 21 years of age or older and wholly dependent on their parent(s) because of physical or mental disabilities
- single children who are under 25 years of age and in full-time attendance at an accredited educational institute
Learn about status changes and updating your health account information.
Denied or cancelled coverage
Your AHCIP application may be rejected or your existing AHCIP coverage may be cancelled if
- the supporting documents you provided with your application are not acceptable
- your documents have expired
- you no longer meet eligibility requirements
- your existing AHCIP coverage has been cancelled due to not revalidating before the expiry date displayed on your health card (standalone health card, mobile health card or integrated card).
Learn about supporting documents.
Maintain on-going AHCIP coverage
Residents of Alberta are required to maintain on-going eligibility in order to remain covered under the AHCIP by revalidating their coverage on a timely basis.
Albertans are required to visit an Alberta Registry Agent on or before the expiry date displayed on their Alberta personal health card. This card can be a standalone health card, a mobile health card or an integrated card. AHCIP coverage is tied to the expiry date displayed on the health card and if coverage has not been renewed on or before this date, AHCIP coverage is cancelled.
To revalidate AHCIP coverage, you must:
- present at an Alberta Registry Agent
- bring supporting documentation to verify your identity, residency in Alberta and legal entitlement to be in Canada
Request an eligibility review for health care coverage
If you are denied coverage, you may request to have your application and documents reviewed.
As part of the eligibility review:
- your original application will be reassessed
- any new supporting documents you provide will be considered.
It is your responsibility to demonstrate your eligibility for AHCIP coverage. Make sure you provide sufficient evidence to the AHCIP office.
Send your appeal letter to the AHCIP office
To request an eligibility review, write an appeal letter to the AHCIP office and include:
- the reasons for your request
- any additional supporting documents.
Mail your letter and supporting documents (photocopies) to:
Alberta Health
Attention: Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan, Eligibility Review
PO Box 1360, Station Main
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2N3
Eligibility review decisions
After a review is completed, you will receive a letter outlining the legislative, regulatory and/or policy reasons for the decision. If applicable, the letter will also contain information on the process for requesting an administrative review of the decision.