Snowbird health coverage: provincial time limits
Checked for the 2026 tax year · Updated October 2026
Each province limits how long you can be away and keep your health coverage, often around 6 months a year, and the rules differ. Check your province’s official page before you leave.
Why it matters
Your provincial health plan expects you to live in your province for a minimum part of each year. Stay away too long and you can lose coverage, at home as well as away. Your plan is also one of the ties to Canada you list on Form 8840.
The rules in the biggest snowbird provinces
Ontario (OHIP)
At least 153 days in Ontario in any 12-month period. Longer stays outside Canada can be covered for up to 2 years if you qualify.
ontario.ca: OHIP coverage while outside CanadaBritish Columbia (MSP)
Away 6 months or more in a calendar year? Contact Health Insurance BC to confirm your coverage.
gov.bc.ca: Leaving B.C. temporarilyAlberta (AHCIP)
Not in Alberta at least 183 days in 12 months? Tell AHCIP. Recurring vacation absences of up to 212 days may still be covered.
alberta.ca: Leaving Alberta affects coverageQuebec (RAMQ)
Away fewer than 183 days in a calendar year. Trips of 21 days or less don't count, and there's a once-every-7-years exception.
ramq.gouv.qc.ca: Absence from QuébecOther provinces and territories have their own limits, often around 6 months a year. Search your plan's name with “travelling outside Canada”, or call your plan before you leave.
Your plan covers little in the US
Provincial plans pay only part of emergency care outside Canada, often a small part. Travel medical insurance is what actually pays US hospital bills, so check its dates match your trip.
Two different counts
Your province counts days you're away from the province. The IRS counts days you're in the US, with its own formula. Keep a log of your dates and you can answer both. See how to count your US days.
Onward is an independent Canadian service, not the IRS. This page explains the rules in plain terms; it isn't tax or legal advice. If your situation is unusual, speak with a cross-border tax professional.