What is Health Insurance
A Health Insurance plan purchased from an insurance company is designed to help you pay for medical costs not covered by your government health plan.
This can include routine expenses such as dental and vision care, as well as unexpected expenses like hospital stays or prescription medications. By offsetting these costs, a health insurance plan provides additional financial protection and peace of mind.
These plans are often referred to as "extended health care plans" because they extend your government health insurance plan benefits.
What is covered by a health insurance plan?
Plans can vary widely in terms of what items they cover. Below is a list of the types of items that can form an Extended Health and Dental Care Plan.
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Coverage for the unintentional death or dismemberment of the insured.
Dismemberment generally includes the loss, or the loss of use, of body parts or functions (such as limbs, speech, eyesight, and hearing).
In-Home Nursing & Home Care
Hearing Aids
Prescription Drugs
To treat a chronic or serious health condition.
Dental Services
Basic 'preventative' or 'routine' dental may cover items such as:
- diagnostics
- preventative services
- fillings
- cleanings
- scaling
- examinations
- polishings
- select extractions
Major aka 'restorative' dental may cover items such as:
- endodontics
- periodontics
- oral surgery
- crowns
- onlays
- inlays
- bridges
- dentures (and repairs)
Paramedical Services
To help with injury recovery.
May cover licensed practitioners such as:
- Registered massage therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Chiropractors
- Naturopaths and acupuncturists
- Osteopaths
- Podiatrists or chiropodists
- Speech language pathologists
- Psychologists and social workers
Vision Care
Coverage for items such as:
- Prescription eye glasses
- Prescription contact lenses
- Prescription sunglasses
- Laser eye surgery
Travel
Coverage for when you travel outside your home province/country.
Hospital
Medical Supplies
To help with your mobility.
Wellness
Emotional or family support.
Ambulance Services
Teledoc Services
What insurance do you need and when?
Personal Health Insurance is the foundation of any sound financial plan and should be maintained throughout life - both in your working and retirement years.
Travel Insurance may be built-in to Personal Health Insurance plans, and is important both when travelling within and outside of Canada.
Types of health insurance in Canada
There are three different types of health care plans.
Which one is right for you and your family depends on your unique personal circumstances.
Why do you need personal health insurance if you have government healthcare?
While provincial and territorial health and drug plans in Canada provide coverage for some health expenses, there may still be gaps in coverage that can result in expensive medical bills. If you experience illness or injury, your government health plan may only cover a portion of your medical costs, and in some cases, you may receive no coverage at all. This means that you could end up paying for various healthcare expenses out of your own pocket.
By having a health insurance, you can receive reimbursement for eligible healthcare expenses that are not fully covered or not covered at all by your provincial or territorial healthcare plan. This can include expenses for medical, dental, vision, and other healthcare services, helping to reduce the financial burden of unexpected healthcare costs.
What's covered by my provincial government health care plan?
Each Canadian province or territory offers its own health plan for residents. All plans provide access to publicly funded medical insurance and emergency care, but plans may vary in what they cover and costs. What is covered under your provincial or territorial plan?
Click on your province or territory below to learn more:
How much does health insurance cost?
There are a number of factors that can affect plan pricing, including:
Age
Generally, insurance cost less for younger age groups, and more for older age groups.
Single, couple or family
Plan cost will vary depending on the number of people covered.
Province of residence
Plan cost can vary from one province/territory to the next.
Plan selection
Plans that include more benefits and higher coverage amounts come at a higher cost.
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