The Canadian Healthcare System: A User’s Guide 2023

Are you unfamiliar with Canadian healthcare due to your recent immigration? We have your back.

When relocating to Canada, there are several things to consider. You need to locate a job, a residence, and decide which school your children will attend. In order to ensure that you and your family are fully protected when you arrive, you’ll also need a basic awareness of the Canadian healthcare system.

There are many important questions about the Canadian healthcare system that new immigrants frequently have that we can answer. Continue reading to learn how an immigrant can obtain healthcare, how much it costs, and what services the public system provides.

How Does the Canadian Healthcare System Function?

One of the numerous advantages people associate with relocating to Canada is universal healthcare. But you might be wondering, what exactly is universal healthcare?

People who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible for public health care in Canada. Healthcare in Canada is paid for by taxpayers and includes visits to hospitals and doctors when they are deemed medically necessary.

The responsibility for defining what constitutes a “medically required service” and delivering healthcare to its citizens falls to each of Canada’s 13 provinces and territories. In other words, depending on where you live, will determine how you receive healthcare and the specific treatments to which you are entitled.

Additionally, the federal government is involved. Through the Canada Health Act, it establishes national health standards for the system and aids in funding provincial and territorial health care services.

How to Get Medical Care as a Foreigner in Canada?

According to the Canadian healthcare system, to get public health insurance in Canada, you only need to send an application to the government of your province or territory. Anyone who is a Canadian citizen or legal permanent resident can apply.

Once approved, you will receive your health care card in the mail. You must present your health care card if you see a doctor, travel to the emergency department, or have surgery.

Who in Canada Is Qualified for Free Healthcare?

Depending on your status and the length of time you have been in Canada, you may be eligible for free healthcare as a new immigrant. Living in a province or territory and being physically present for at least 183 days a year are prerequisites for health insurance coverage.

The following categories are typically covered by Canada’s universal healthcare system:

• Permanent occupants
• students from abroad with a study permit
• foreigners with authorization
• Refugees and people who are protected
• Permanent guests (special cases)

Before you may apply for healthcare, you must have worked or studied in Canada for at least six months if you are not a citizen or a permanent resident.

The government won’t cover the majority of your medical expenses if you are harmed or ill in the meantime. Before coming to Canada, you should research private health insurance to avoid high medical costs.

Take note that depending on the province or territory in which you are located, you may be eligible for public health care if you are in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET). You must submit an application for a healthcare card if your province or territory participates in CUAET and offers public healthcare.

What Is Covered by Canadian Healthcare?

Most healthcare and emergency medical treatments are free with your healthcare card. For instance, in Ontario, OHIP covers the following services if you have a medical need for a service or treatment:

• Visits to the family physician
• Travel to healthcare providers, including walk-in clinics
• attendance in emergency rooms
• medical procedures and tests

Public health insurance covers a psychiatrist’s hospital-based mental health services. However, this is not covered if you want to visit and consult with a private psychologist. If you don’t have private health insurance, you’ll have to pay for your medical expenses out of pocket.

Some firms, like Scotiabank, include mental health insurance in their list of perks for employees. For those who are experiencing a crisis, as well as for kids, seniors, Indigenous peoples, and other specialized groups, there are free mental health supports available.

Additionally, your province or territory could provide “extra benefits” that are intended for particular demographics like kids, pensioners, and people receiving social assistance. Between provinces and territories, these schemes differ.

What Medical Services Are Not Provided in Canada?

The following health services are typically not covered by the publicly funded healthcare system:

• care for the eyes and ears
• tooth care
• medicines on prescription
• medical services
• living independently (home care)

To this rule, there are some exceptions. For instance, OHIP+ is available in Ontario to people 24 years of age and younger who have OHIP coverage but aren’t covered by a private plan. This programme offers free access to over 5,000 prescription prescriptions, including antibiotics and asthma inhalers.

To help cover the costs of services that public healthcare does not cover, many Canadians have private health insurance through their job or a private insurance provider.

How to Find a Family Doctor?

In the Canadian healthcare system, you must look for a family doctor for yourself and your loved ones in addition to presenting a health card. They are responsible for providing routine medical services such as annual exams, prescriptions, vaccines, and scheduling preventive tests such as blood tests or Pap screenings. They are also known as general practitioners (GPs). A dedicated family doctor also has the advantage of knowing your medical history.

It is important to find a family doctor who accepts new patients as not all GPs do. You can start your search with:

• Ask your neighbors, co-workers, relatives, friends and other members of your community
• Contact a local startup service provider
• Contact the local health center
• Family doctor search in provincial sites

How Does One Go about Seeing a Specialty Physician in Canada?

In the Canadian healthcare system, if you need the help of a specialist, such as a dermatologist or a cardiologist, you will first need a referral. Your primary care physician often recommends. However, a mobile clinic may also refer you to a medical specialist.

GP referrals keep specialist schedules from being overloaded. Once the specialist receives the referral from your primary care physician, a representative from the specialist’s office will contact you to set up your initial consultation. Referrals to specialists are usually covered by your province’s universal health care plan, with the exception of elective procedures such as plastic surgery.

In Canada, there may be a long wait for a referral from a family doctor. According to the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association, a study in Ontario found that the average wait time for a patient to be referred to a specialist was seven weeks for urgent referrals and 11.3 weeks for non-urgent referrals. The type of specialist you need to see and where you live may affect how long you wait. You can contact our colleagues at cianimmigration for advice.