Best Health Insurance in Canada
Any ranking that names a single best health insurance plan without showing its work is guessing. The honest version states its criteria first, applies them consistently, and lets you re-weight them for your own situation. That is what this page does. We score the individual health plans we list against four criteria, then rank them, so you can see not just what placed first but why, and decide whether our priorities match yours.
This is a national view covering the carriers available to the most Canadians. We do not quote dollar premiums, because they depend on your age and household, so the ranking turns on coverage and carrier factors rather than price. Use it as a shortlist, then quote the finalists for your own province.
Our criteria
- 1. Coverage depth
- How much the plan actually pays across prescription drugs, dental, vision and paramedical care, measured by tier, reimbursement percentages and annual maximums rather than by the list of categories alone.
- 2. Underwriting access
- How easy it is to qualify. Medically underwritten plans reward healthy applicants with depth; guaranteed-issue and guaranteed-acceptance routes widen access for people who cannot pass health questions.
- 3. Carrier stability
- The financial strength and track record of the insurer behind the promise. A health plan is a long-term commitment, so the size and rating of the carrier are a genuine tie-breaker.
- 4. Claims experience
- How straightforward it is to submit and be reimbursed, including digital claims, recall frequency and the breadth of the provider network you can use without friction.
The ranking
Scored against the four criteria above. Ties on depth are broken by access and carrier strength.
| Rank | Plan | Coverage depth | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manulife FlexCare ComboPlus Enhanced | Gold tier, deep dental and drug coverage | Medically underwritten |
| 2 | Sun Life Personal Health Insurance Enhanced (With Dental) | Platinum tier reaching orthodontics | Medically underwritten |
| 3 | Canada Life Freedom to Choose Select Plus | Gold tier, strong routine dental | Medically underwritten |
| 4 | Manulife FollowMe Enhanced | Gold tier conversion plan | Guaranteed issue |
| 5 | Sun Life Health Coverage Choice Plan C (With Dental) | Platinum conversion plan | Guaranteed issue |
1. Manulife FlexCare ComboPlus Enhanced (Manulife). Scores highly on every criterion: a rich gold tier, a six-month dental recall paying the first $500 of basic work in full, the scale of one of Canada’s largest insurers, and nationwide availability.
2. Sun Life Personal Health Insurance Enhanced (With Dental) (Sun Life). The deepest coverage in the set, climbing to orthodontics at 60% with a $1,500 lifetime maximum, backed by a top-tier carrier. Loses the top spot only on a higher entry bar.
3. Canada Life Freedom to Choose Select Plus (Canada Life). A balanced gold plan with 80% routine dental and a stable national carrier behind it, a strong middle pick for households wanting depth without the platinum premium.
4. Manulife FollowMe Enhanced (Manulife). The best route for people leaving a group plan, accepting you without medical questions inside the conversion window while still delivering gold-tier coverage.
5. Sun Life Health Coverage Choice Plan C (With Dental) (Sun Life). A no-questions conversion plan that still reaches platinum coverage with a combined dental maximum rising to $1,000, ideal when underwriting is not an option.
To compare two carriers head to head against these criteria, see our pairings such as Manulife vs Sun Life and Canada Life vs Manulife.
Re-weight for your situation
The order above assumes a balanced weighting. Shift it toward the criterion that decides your case. If dental depth is everything, our best dental insurance ranking re-scores the same plans on dental alone. If price is the constraint, the cheapest health insurance guide takes the opposite lens. Specific situations are covered in our self-employed and seniors guides.
Quote the finalists for your province
A ranking narrows the field; a quote confirms the price and exact plans available where you live. Get a personalized quote, and browse the full lineup any time in our plans directory.
Frequently asked questions
What makes one health insurance plan better than another in Canada?
There is no single best plan, only the best fit for a set of needs, which is why we score against four explicit criteria rather than crowning one winner blindly. Coverage depth measures how much the plan actually pays across drugs, dental, vision and paramedical. Underwriting access measures how easy it is to qualify. Carrier stability reflects the financial strength of the insurer behind the promise. Claims experience covers how straightforward it is to get reimbursed. A plan that wins on all four is the safest default, but a plan that wins on the criterion that matters most to you may be the better personal choice.
Are the national carriers really better than regional ones?
Not inherently. The national carriers, Manulife, Sun Life and Canada Life, win on portability and breadth, since their plans are sold across most provinces and travel with you if you move. Regional carriers like Alberta Blue Cross can win on local network depth and on guaranteed-acceptance options within their territory. Our national ranking leans toward the carriers available to the most people, but if you live in a province with a strong regional insurer, it deserves a place on your shortlist alongside the national names.
How much does carrier stability actually matter?
It matters because a health plan is a long-term promise, and you want the insurer to be there years from now and to pay claims reliably in the meantime. The largest Canadian carriers carry strong financial ratings and large books of business, which is one reason they sit near the top of our ranking. For most buyers this is a tie-breaker rather than a deciding factor, since all the carriers we list are established, but it is a real reason to be cautious about an unfamiliar insurer offering an unusually cheap plan.
Should I pick the plan that ranks first overall?
Only if your needs match the criteria weighting that produced that ranking. The top plan is the strongest all-rounder, but if you cannot pass underwriting, a guaranteed-issue plan further down the list is genuinely better for you. If you need orthodontics, the deepest dental plan matters more than overall balance. Use the ranking as a starting shortlist, then re-weight toward the criterion that decides your situation, whether that is access, dental depth or keeping the premium manageable.
How do I compare two carriers head to head?
Start with the criteria that matter to you, then look at the two carriers side by side on those points specifically. We publish head-to-head comparison pages for every pairing of the major carriers, covering provinces served, plan tiers, underwriting options and benefit depth. Pair that with a personalized quote so you are comparing the actual plans and prices available to your age and province, rather than headline features that may not apply to your situation.