Health Benefits: Qualifying Income Levels Ministerial Order sets out the maximum qualifying income levels for determining financial eligibility for health benefits at application or annual renewal.

ISTHB Regulation Section 88 provides the eligibility rules for the AAHB program for low income households with a pregnant member.

Pregnant women who are not on Income Support are able to access information and application forms for the Alberta Adult Health Benefit (AAHB) program through Community and Social Services offices, the Intranet site, as well as community agencies providing prenatal services.

In order to be enrolled in the AAHB program, the AEHB 3931 Alberta Adult Health Benefit Application form must be completed and mailed or faxed to Common Service Delivery (CSD):

Health Benefits Contact Centre
PO Box 2222
Edmonton, AB   T5J 5H3

Fax: Toll-free 1-855-780-415-8386 or 780-415-8386 in Edmonton

Phone: Toll-free 1-877-469-5437 or 780-427-6848 in Edmonton

When the application and other documents are received, CSD staff:

1. Fax the application form to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requesting income verification for the applicant and their spouse. CSD staff then confirm that the household income is equal to or less than the AAHB qualifying income level for the applicant’s family type.
   
   

   Note
   If the applicant is a refugee claimant they will be responsible for providing income verification through alternate sources other than CRA as they may not have filed taxes within their first year of residence in Canada.  If the refugee or refugee claimant has been in Canada for more than one year the income verification will be requested from CRA.

   Refugees and refugee claimants must provide substantiation of their status in Canada by providing with their application documents from the Citizen and Immigration Canada (CIC) indicating their status.

   Note
   Income is defined as the total combined household net income (line 236) plus non-taxable child support payments (line 156 minus line 128) as reported by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Line 156 is the actual amount of child support received and line 128 is the taxable child support that must be reported.

2. Send the AEHB 3654 Declaration of 18-19 Year Old Dependant form to the applicant, if appropriate.

3. Advise the applicant of their eligibility or non-eligibility for the AAHB program by letter.  If the application is approved, children in the household receive health benefits coverage; however, spouses do not receive coverage.

    

4. Assign the Client Type (CT) 78 Health Benefits Card Only - Pregnancy. 

    

5. Prior to file closure, send the Pregnancy File Closure letter advising of the termination date for AAHB coverage and providing information on other options for health benefits coverage.

If they or any member of their household have an ongoing need for prescription drug or diabetic supplies, they can request to be re-assessed for eligibility in AAHB sub-type 79 High Drug Needs at any time.

The children can be covered under the ACHB program until the end of the benefit year.