You will be asked for your PEI Health Card each time you visit a medical office or undergo medical testing or treatment at a publicly funded health facility in Prince Edward Island. If you do not have a valid PEI Health Card you will be billed for hospital and physician services.
Your pharmacist will also require your health card to record your prescription medications in the PEI Drug Information System.
A PEI Health Card is valid for five years from the date it is issued. It contains your 8-digit Personal Health Number (PHN), personal information such as your name, birth date, gender, and address, and the card expiry date. Your renewed health card will also contain your intention for organ and tissue donation as well as your preferred language for medical services.
Am I eligible for a PEI Health Card?
A PEI Health Card is issued to every PEI resident. You are considered to be a resident of PEI if:
- you are legally in Canada; and
- PEI is your primary residence for at least six months plus a day each year.
You are not eligible for a PEI Health Card, if you are:
- an International student, unable to work off campus;
- a tourist, transient or visitor to PEI;
- a member of the Canadian Armed Forces;
- an inmate of a Federal Penitentiary; or
- a citizen eligible for certain services under other government programs, such as the Interim Federal Health Program for Refugees, Workers Compensation or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
For further information about eligibility for health coverage, please refer to the Health Services Payment Act Regulations [PDF | 939 KB].
Should I use my PEI Health Card when I am out of province?
If you temporarily leave PEI for travel, study or work, your PEI Health Card will cover you for emergency or sudden-illness health care services. You are strongly encouraged to purchase additional private insurance for health coverage while outside Canada.
