A Guide to Canadian Healthcare for New Immigrants
The Canadian health care system is often a topic of discussion for newcomers, immigrants, and foreigners. It is important to understand fully how the system works before coming to Canada with hopes of being one of the permanent residents or citizens who get to benefit from the health care system.
How the Canadian Health Care System Works
The Canadian health care system has publicly funded health care. There have been several reforms made over the past four decades and will continue to do so in response to changes in medicine. Currently, there is universal health care coverage for medically necessary health care services provided on the basis of need, rather than the ability to pay. Each of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories fund their statewide health insurance programs. This means that while Canadians and permanent residents are guaranteed access to hospitals and physician services, it is up to each province to decide to cover certain benefits such as dental and drug coverage. The roles of the provincial and territorial governments in health care include:
- administration of their health insurance plans;
- planning and funding of care in hospitals and other health facilities;
- services provided by doctors and other health professionals;
- planning and implementation of health promotion and public health initiatives; and
- negotiation of fee schedules with health professionals.
Purchasing Private Health Insurance in Canada
Those who wish to purchase privately owned health insurance do so to cover medical expenses such as dental and drug coverage. Most provincial and territorial governments offer and fund supplementary benefits for certain groups (e.g., low-income residents and seniors), such as drugs prescribed outside hospitals, ambulance costs, and hearing, vision and dental care, that are not covered under the Canada Health Act.
Private health insurance plans are usually offered as part of employee benefit packages in many companies. Incentives usually include vision and dental care. Alternatively, Canadians can purchase insurance packages from private insurance providers. The main reason many choose to purchase private insurance is to supplement primary health coverage. For those requiring services that may not be covered under provincial health insurance such as corrective lenses, medications, or home care, a private insurance plan offsets such medical expenses. While private insurance can benefit those with certain needs, many Canadians choose to rely exclusively on the public health system.
The Cost of the Canadian Health Care System
Funding universal healthcare coverage is funded by taxation.
“Health care in Canada is funded at both the provincial and federal levels. The financing of health care is provided via taxation both from personal and corporate income taxes. Additional funds from other financial sources like sales tax and lottery proceeds are also used by some provinces. Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario also charge health premiums to supplement health funding, but such premiums are not required for health coverage as per the Canada Health Act.” – canadian-healthcare.org
How to Access Canadian Health Care
To access Canada’s health care system first you must apply for a provincial health card. There is a waiting period in place for new immigrants that cannot exceed three months. Once a newcomer has lived as a permanent resident in Canada for three months, they can apply for a provincial health card. Once a health card is assigned, it is used whenever visiting a physician or health care provider. The health card contains an identification number, which is used to access a person’s medical information. After obtaining health coverage, one can register with a primary care physician. For routine visits to a physician, one needs only present their health card. There are typically no forms to be filled out or individual service fees.
The availability of physicians depends largely on the number of doctors and the current demand for medical services. Currently, there is about 1 primary care doctor for every 1000 Canadians according to the Canadian Health Care organization.
If you’d like to learn more about the Canadian Health Care System read our Canada’s Universal Health Care FAQ for answers to your questions.
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