Planning a trip to Canada and wondering if you need a Health Insurance? The answer is YES! Hospital or medical services for tourists are not covered by Canada. Before coming to Canada, you should get health insurance to cover any medical expenses. Purchased coverage takes effect the day you land in Canada. Additionally, the plan is obtainable within 30 days of arrival, and coverage starts 72 hours from the date of application. Tourists in Canada cannot use the public healthcare system. If you’re just visiting Canada for a holiday or a short stay, you may want to look into private medical cover or travel insurance.
Why is important to have private health insurance?
- You regularly consume prescription medication
- You are a senior
- You’ll be moving across the Canadian provinces and territories quite a bit
- Your workplace in Canada does not provide any form of group health insurance
- The group health insurance provided by your Canadian workplace is insufficient in scope
- You’re accustomed to getting medical care privately and want to keep doing so
Having private Canadian health insurance has a lot of benefits comparing to public one, and we can mention few of them such as avoiding the waiting times, no restrictions of some provincial health insurance plans, no need for payment in other regions of the nation, private rooms and nicer hospitals in case of serious health cause. In Canada, a household’s private health insurance premiums typically run roughly C$4,000 annually.
Learn more about Canada’s Health System
The Canada Health Act (CHA), a publicly funded system, is used to deliver healthcare in Canada. The CHA makes sure that everyone living in Canada has access to hospital and physician services that are required for medical reasons, regardless of their financial situation.
Here are some essential details concerning Canadian health insurance:
Universal Coverage: Public health insurance is available to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents, regardless of their level of income or work. The fundamental medical services covered by each province and territory’s individual health insurance plan are managed independently.
Provincial Health Insurance Plans: Each province and territory has its own health insurance program, such as the British Columbia Medical Services Plan (MSP) or the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Taxes from the federal, provincial, and territory governments are used to pay for these programs.
Covered Services: Public health insurance generally covers essential medical services, including visits to doctors, specialists, and hospital stays. It also covers necessary medical procedures, such as surgeries and diagnostic tests. However, coverage may vary slightly between provinces and territories.
Private Insurance: In general, basic medical services such as doctor and specialist visits as well as hospital stays are covered by public health insurance. Additionally, it covers essential medical processes including operations and diagnostic testing. However, there can be a small difference in coverage between the provinces and territories.
Costs and Accessibility: The majority of medically required services covered by the public health insurance program are not subject to direct payment by Canadian residents. However, some out-of-pocket expenses, such co-pays for prescription drugs or charges for services that are not medically essential, may be the responsibility of the person. Non-emergency procedure wait times can vary, and some governments have put wait time reduction plans in place.
Enrolment: You must apply for a provincial health insurance card when you move into a Canadian province or territory. You must normally present documentation proving your residency as well as other pertinent information. The procedure and criteria may vary.
