Page - 413 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

413Migrant Health in a Time of Pandemic: Fallacies of Us-Versus-Them respective health insurance programs in an effort to stem the spread of the virus. Most notably, Ontario has temporarily extended cover- age for medically necessary health care to all previously uninsured people in the province, and the three-month waiting period it typi- cally imposed on new and returning residents has been suspended for the time being.23 British Columbia has adopted similar policy changes. However, its broadening of essential health care coverage to formerly uninsured individuals is restricted to foreign workers with a permit of less than six months, as well as temporary residents who remain in the province on lapsed work or study permits—many of whom are facing administrative delays in renewing their immigration docu- ments or are stranded by pandemic-related border closures and flight cancellations.24 For other uninsured migrants such as undocumented persons, only health care services “related to suspected or confirmed cases of infection with COVID-19” will be publicly covered.25 Comparatively, other provinces and territories, as well as the federal government, have been much less responsive to migrants’ health care needs during the pandemic. They have either not expanded migrants’ health care entitlement at all within their juris- dictions, or only introduced what may at best be described as half measures. For instance, Alberta has extended health care coverage to foreign workers with expired permits for the duration of the prov- ince’s pandemic-triggered state of emergency.26 But unlike British Columbia, it has made no effort to provide publicly funded health care to other uninsured residents, not even services required to assess, test, or treat COVID-19. In contrast, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, and Manitoba have announced that they would cover the cost of COVID-19 testing and treatment for all residents regardless of their health insurance 23. Ontario Health Insurance Plan Bulletin, 4749, “COVID-19 Expanding Access to OHIP Coverage and Funding Physician and Hospital Services for Uninsured Patients” (25 March 2020), online: Ontario  Ministry  of  Health <health.gov.on.ca/ en/pro/programs/ohip/bulletins/4000/bul4749.aspx>. 24. “Medical Services Plan Response to COVID-19” (last modified 9 April 2020), online: British Columbia <gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/ msp/bc-residents/msp-covid-19-response>. 25. Ibid. 26. Rachel Ward, “Alberta Extends Health Care to Uninsured Foreigners With Lapsed Work Permits During Pandemic”, CBC News (23 April 2020), online: <cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-health-care-extension-expired-work-per- mits-1.5543174?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar>.