If you are considering moving to Canada as either a digital nomad or permanent resident, it is crucial to learn about their healthcare system.
Canada Health Act of 1984 defines it as an amalgamation of provincial and territorial insurance plans united under one set of standards.
Publicly-Funded Universal Health Care
Canadian healthcare is funded by taxpayers to ensure universal, free access to hospital and doctor visits for citizens and permanent residents alike. Each province and territory operates their own health insurance plan but must meet national standards to receive funding from the federal government.
The Canada Health Act stipulates that each provincial and territorial (P/T) health insurance plan cover medically necessary hospital and physician services on a prepay basis, along with additional services like prescription drugs outside hospitals, ambulance costs and dental and vision care coverage. Many P/T plans negotiate fee schedules with health professionals such as physicians and dentists to help keep costs under control.
Private supplementary health coverage is an affordable alternative for those who do not qualify for publicly funded benefits, and individuals may pay out-of-pocket or through employment-based group plans or private insurers for this coverage. Private supplementary coverage serves as a great complement to universal healthcare provided through P/T plans, often helping reduce wait times for treatment.
Ambulance Service
When patients require ambulance rides between hospitals, they may receive a bill due to EMS services not being covered under Canada Health Act. However, group or individual insurance policies usually reimburse them for this cost of transport.
Canada’s national healthcare system is often held up as an example that United States should follow, including by Bernie Sanders during presidential campaign years as part of his Medicare for All campaign.
Canadian healthcare is funded through general taxes through a single-payer, universal public plan funded by general taxes that provides all medically necessary care, from physician services on a fee-for-service basis and hospital care through an annual global budget system (a method by third party payers to control costs by capping total expenditures over a specified time period), with consumers facing no copayments whatsoever; physicians and hospitals maintaining considerable autonomy and choice over care provided.
Private Extended Health Insurance
Canadian private insurance systems are typically straightforward compared to many OECD nations. A large majority of its residents possess some form of private coverage through workplace benefits; most policies tend to offer only drug coverage as an add-on, without providing meaningful supplementary protection for services that are already publicly insured (PomeyPomey 2005).
Canada stands out as being an outlier among OECD nations when it comes to public financing of physician and hospital services, creating an unusual pattern of financing across different health care sectors.
To safeguard this arrangement, provincial governments have implemented measures to regulate premiums and disallow private supplementary insurance that would impede delivery of publicly insured medical services. Furthermore, each province imposes minimum residency requirements and wait periods before new residents can become covered under their plan; some provinces even permit physicians to opt out and accept payment directly from third parties instead of being required to submit to this system.
Non-Emergency Medical Care
Canada, the second-largest nation by area in the world, covers two fifths of North America’s northern half. Boasting 10 provinces and 3 territories, its borders lie along three oceans – Atlantic in the east, Pacific to its west, and Arctic to its north. Canada is an advanced nation, boasting one of the highest per capita incomes and boasting some of the best international rankings in areas such as health, education, life expectancy, economic freedom and civil liberties. Canada is one of the founding members of the United Nations and plays an essential role in global governance and peacekeeping operations, while signing the North American Free Trade Agreement. Furthermore, Canada belongs to both Commonwealth and La Francophonie groups of French-speaking nations; approximately one fifth of Canadians identify as immigrants.
Canada is governed under a hybrid constitution monarchy-parliamentary democracy system. The monarch acts as head of state and appoints a governor general as their representative in parliament and internationally.