Here is a copy of info re OHIP from the Canadian
Government website on retiring out of Country.
Retirement Abroad - Seeing the Sunsets
Canadian provincial
health care programs provide limited coverage during temporary periods of absence from Canada. Typically, the coverage extends for three months. The level of benefits, however, may be inadequate to cover costs in some locations, especially the United States. The reason for this is that the payments allowed for out-of-country treatment are comparable to the
fees paid by the provincial plans to
health care providers in Canada. These
fees reflect the resources of Canada's public
health care system. In some cases, a foreign hospital may charge several times more than your provincial program will allow. It is therefore essential that you arrange for private health care insurance for when you are residing abroad.
Provincial health care programs terminate eligibility after periods of prolonged absence from Canada, typically six months. In most cases, you must be physically present in your Canadian province of residence for 183 days of each calendar year to maintain your health care coverage. The rationale for this requirement is that, when you are out of the country, you are not paying provincial sales tax or the Goods and Services Tax, both of which help to pay for medical care.
If you lose your provincial health care coverage, there may be a waiting period before it is reinstated when you return to Canada following an extended stay abroad. Certain insurance plans for Canadians travelling abroad automatically include coverage for this waiting period. If your "out of Canada" plan does not include this coverage, there are plans available for visitors to Canada that may be purchased to provide coverage during the waiting period. In general, these plans must be purchased immediately on your return to Canada. It is important to note that most "visitor" plans purchased following a return to Canada will exclude any pre-existing medical condition.
Arrange Health-Care Coverage
What will you do if you have an
accident or become ill while abroad? Are you prepared for
emergency repatriation? Have you checked the provisions of your provincial health care plan?
In some provinces, you can avoid the requalification period by waiving your right to coverage while you are out of the country. This way, you will be covered immediately upon your return, even though you were out of the country for more than six months. Before leaving Canada, check with provincial health care authorities to make sure you fully understand how your health care coverage will be affected.
For comparisons try
www.insuremytrip.ca and compare several plans at once.
Hope this helps!