My husband and I are also new to fulltiming it. We are both over 65. We left our home in Saskatchewan last August 15th and travelled East to the Atlantic Provinces and then south to Florida. We returned to Canada via the West Coast. We stayed in the USA for the 180 days and are now sitting in British Columbia. Due to weather and snow we do not intend to return to Saskatchewan until after May 15th. We have truly had the trip of a lifetime and enjoyed every second of it. But, now we have a huge concern! One that is not making us very happy.
Our problem is that we are only now becoming aware that we may be in contravention of the rules re Healthcare in Canada. IF we are reading the rules correctly we cannot leave Saskatchewan for more than 180 days or the Province could revoke our right to Provincial Healthcare Coverage. We also carry extra Insurance for travel outside the Province through GMS (Group Medical Services) and we wonder how they would react should something happen to either of us at this moment? Would they immediately jump through the loophole (out of the Province for longer than six months) and refuse to cover? Even though they have accepted our Premium(hefty premium) knowing full well that we intended to stay away for almost a year.
I would appreciate any input from anyone on this matter. It seems rather despotic that the Province can tell us now, in retirement, how and when we can leave a Province where we have paid taxes and resided fulltime for most of our lives. In fact, it makes me very very angry. We might only have a few years left in which we will be healthy enough to travel and they would like to constrain us. Highly unfair IMO. My husband and I downsized our assets in Saskatchewan to make this journey but are still taxpayers in that Province.
This explains the problem we have as fulltimers and Canadians:
How Long Can A Canadian Snowbird Stay Out of the Country? | Travel Insurance File