PEI Health Card

You need a PEI Health Card to use services at hospitals and other public health care facilities in Prince Edward Island without being charged. Pharmacists also use your health card to record your medications in the PEI Drug Information System.

• Apply for a PEI Health Card 
• Renew your PEI Health Card (for permanent residents)
• Renew your Temporary PEI Health Card (for international students, temporary workers, and former international students and temporary workers who have acquired permanent resident status)
• Replace a lost or stolen card
• Change the name, address or telephone number on your card 

PEI has two types of health cards

1. A PEI Health Card for permanent residents, which is valid for five years from the date it is issued. 
2. A Temporary PEI Health Card for international students and temporary workers, which is valid for the duration of your study and/or work permit. 

For eligibility criteria, please see Apply for a Health Card. 

Information on your health card

Your health card contains your eight-digit Personal Health Number (health card number), your name, birth date, gender, address, and the card expiry date. If you opt to include organ and tissue donation information and your preferred language for medical services, it will include that as well.

Out-of-province coverage

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. 

Travelling within Canada 

Notify PEI Medicare if your absence will exceed one month to help avoid any delay in payment for an out-of-province service. Provide your departure and return dates, destination, and reason for absence. For example, an extended winter vacation or a sabbatical leave.

Travelling outside Canada  

Please purchase private insurance for health coverage while outside Canada. The cost for medical services outside Canada may be considerably higher and you will be required to pay medical costs upfront.  

You will be reimbursed at PEI rates in Canadian currency; however, you will be responsible to pay the difference between the amount charged and the amount paid by PEI Medicare. 

Submit your detailed invoice and proof of payment to PEI Medicare within six months of the date of service. 

Studying outside of PEI

Island students who will be studying outside of the province must notify PEI Medicare of their plans at the beginning of each school year to ensure appropriate medical coverage.

If you will be studying within Canada, you will be insured for emergency health services or sudden illness care including visits to an emergency department or walk-in clinic for a sudden or life-threatening illness and being admitted to hospital for an emergency procedure or treatment.

Non-emergency care such as elective surgeries and treatments, or treatment for a chronic condition or ailment requires prior approval from Health PEI for the service to be insured.  

Working outside of PEI  

If PEI is your primary residence and your job requires you to live and work out-of-province or outside of Canada for an extended period of time, you must notify PEI Medicare to ensure you have appropriate medical coverage. 

Moving off PEI

If you move to another Canadian province or territory you will remain eligible for PEI health coverage until the first day of the third month when you become eligible for coverage in your new province. 

Please register in your new province of residence within 30 days of moving to ensure uninterrupted health coverage. 

If you leave Canada permanently your coverage will be terminated the day you leave PEI.

To change the address, telephone number, or name on your PEI Health Card: 

Call PEI Medicare at 1-800-321-5492.  

If your name has changed or if you have received a card with incorrect information, you will not be charged for a replacement card.

Please confirm your information has been updated the next time you provide your health card at a Health PEI program or facility. 

Contact PEI Medicare

c/o Health PEI
126 Douses Road
Montague, PE C0A 1R0

Telephone: 902-838-0900, 1-800-321-5492 (toll-free)
Fax: 902-838-0940