Health Benefits Cards (HBC) are issued for all persons eligible for health benefits with the exception of One-Time Issues. When clients require a health benefit, covered by Community and Social Services, they must present their HBC to the vendor/service provider (pharmacies, dentist, and optical providers, and ambulance service) to receive the needed good or service at no cost.

Households receiving Income Support (IS) benefits (ETW and BFE) are issued a paper HBC attached to their monthly direct deposit/cheque statement. The HBC provides coverage for only the month issued. The names of all eligible household members are shown on the HBC.

Persons receiving IS benefits as Full-Time Learners are issued plastic HBCs prior to commencement of their approved training. This HBC provides health benefits coverage from the day training starts until the last day of the month in which the learner completes or leaves their program. The learner and their partner/spouse, if applicable, are listed on the card. Any eligible dependent children are enrolled in the Alberta Child Health Benefit (ACHB) program and are listed on the ACHB card.

Households enrolled in the Alberta Adult Health Benefit (AAHB) program and the parent/guardian of children enrolled in the ACHB program receive plastic HBCs enrolled in the AAHB or ACHB programs. This HBC provides health benefits coverage from the date the application is approved to the end of the benefit year (June 30^th) when AAHB and ACHB files undergo the annual renewal process.  All eligible members of the household, including 18 and 19 year olds attending school (K-12) are listed on the card.

Note
AAHB and ACHB clients do not receive new HBCs after annual renewal.  They receive HBCs only when a household member is added to or deleted from the coverage.