Canadian Healthcare System
Understand how the Canadian Healthcare system works, its pros and cons
Home > Before Landing > Canadian Healthcare System
Canada is known worldwide for its free healthcare system, and each of its 13 provinces and territories runs their health insurance program which covers most basic medical services (doctor visits, diagnostic tests, hospital stays and surgeries). In Canada, healthcare services are provided on the basis of need, rather than the ability to pay.
Federal vs Provincial and Territorial Governments
|
The Federal Government
The federal government's roles in healthcare include setting and administering national principles following the Canada Health Act:
|
The Canada Health Act establishes criteria and conditions for health insurance plans that must be met by provinces and territories in order for them to receive full federal cash transfers. Provinces and territories are required to provide reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and doctors' services.
The Provincial and Territorial Governments
The provinces and territories administer and deliver most of Canada's healthcare services. It is up to each province to decide whether or not to cover supplementary services, such as dental or drug cover, or even maternity services, that are not covered under the Canada Health Act.
Under most provincial and territorial laws, private insurers are restricted from offering coverage that duplicates that of the publicly funded plans, but they can compete in the supplementary coverage market. These are usually offered as part of employee benefit packages in many companies. Alternatively, supplementary coverage can be purchased from private insurance providers.
For new residents, there are typically waiting periods before health coverage will be granted. This can vary, but cannot exceed three months as part of the Canada Health Act.
Each province / territory sets its rules concerning coverage of international students and temporary workers.
Certain provinces (British Columbia and Ontario) require health care premiums for services. Under the Canada Health Act, however, health services cannot be denied due to financial inability to pay premiums.
To find out if you are eligible to a health card under each province and territory rules, and how to apply for it, visit this page.
The Provincial and Territorial Governments
The provinces and territories administer and deliver most of Canada's healthcare services. It is up to each province to decide whether or not to cover supplementary services, such as dental or drug cover, or even maternity services, that are not covered under the Canada Health Act.
Under most provincial and territorial laws, private insurers are restricted from offering coverage that duplicates that of the publicly funded plans, but they can compete in the supplementary coverage market. These are usually offered as part of employee benefit packages in many companies. Alternatively, supplementary coverage can be purchased from private insurance providers.
For new residents, there are typically waiting periods before health coverage will be granted. This can vary, but cannot exceed three months as part of the Canada Health Act.
Each province / territory sets its rules concerning coverage of international students and temporary workers.
Certain provinces (British Columbia and Ontario) require health care premiums for services. Under the Canada Health Act, however, health services cannot be denied due to financial inability to pay premiums.
To find out if you are eligible to a health card under each province and territory rules, and how to apply for it, visit this page.
Pros and Cons of the Canadian Healthcare System
Negatives :
Positives :
- Priority assessment means some must wait longer
- Rural areas may not be covered sufficiently compared to more metropolitan areas
- Dental care and prescription drugs are mostly not covered by the provincial or territorial governments.
Positives :
- Access of healthcare for everyone
- Education and preventive programs to reduce costs
- No complicated bills, almost no paperwork
- Special Care For Special Needs
