That distinction is especially important for people coming from countries with different systems. A UK-trained GP moving to Canada, for example, may understand the NHS model well, but Canada's system is not a single national health service. It is a publicly funded, provincially administered insurance model with private delivery in many settings. Family physicians often operate through clinics, provincial billing systems, or alternative payment structures. Patients usually do not pay directly for insured physician visits, but clinics still must navigate staffing, capacity, billing, and patient access realities. See our UK GP relocation guide for more on how the clinical environment differs.
For physicians relocating to Canada, this means public insurance determines much of the payment environment, while private insurance affects many patient-side services around the edges of care. A patient may have public coverage for a family doctor visit but still struggle with drug costs, dental needs, allied health services, or finding a clinic accepting new patients.
How to get health insurance in Canada
The first step is determining eligibility for the provincial or territorial plan where you live. This depends on your province, immigration status, residency, and documentation. Most eligible residents apply through the provincial government website or designated registration process. Once approved, they receive a health card, which must be presented when accessing insured services. For many, this is the starting point for how to get health coverage in a new province or territory.
In Ontario, eligible residents apply for OHIP and receive a health card (often discussed as health insurance Ontario). Ontario states that there is no waiting period for OHIP.5 In British Columbia (health insurance British Columbia Canada), residents enrol in MSP, but new arrivals may face a waiting period before coverage begins.6 Alberta requires eligible residents to register for the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan to receive insured hospital and physician services.7 Nova Scotia residents apply for a Health Card to access insured healthcare services under the provincial program (health insurance Nova Scotia).8
The second step is checking whether you need temporary private insurance. This is particularly important for newcomers, returning Canadians, international students, and temporary workers. The federal government advises that in some provinces, people may wait up to three months for public health insurance to start, and should have private insurance during that period.9
The third step is reviewing whether you need supplemental coverage after public coverage begins. If you have employer benefits, check the details carefully. Do not assume every drug, dental procedure, eye exam, therapy appointment, or medical device is fully covered. Most plans have annual maximums, co-payments, exclusions, and reimbursement percentages.
The fourth step is comparing individual plans if you do not have workplace benefits. This is where searches like "cheapest health insurance Ontario," "best health insurance Alberta," "private medical insurance Quebec," and "health insurance Nova Scotia" become practical. Many shoppers compare options such as Blue Cross and other providers when looking for affordable health insurance, private health insurance Ontario, or broader private medical insurance. Some people simply search for the "cheapest health insurance" when price is the main filter. The right plan depends less on the brand name and more on your expected usage.
A healthy person who mainly wants emergency travel and occasional dental coverage may need a very different plan from someone with recurring prescriptions or regular physiotherapy needs.
Health and dental insurance: why dental is a special case
Dental care is one of the clearest examples of the gap between public health insurance and broader health needs. Many Canadians receive dental coverage through workplace benefits, but not everyone has access. The federal Canadian Dental Care Plan was created to reduce financial barriers for eligible Canadian residents without dental coverage. The Government of Canada describes the CDCP as helping cover some of the cost of oral health services for eligible residents.10
This is a major development because dental care has historically been one of the most common reasons people seek private health and dental insurance. However, the CDCP does not mean every Canadian automatically has free dental care. Eligibility, coverage levels, participating providers, and coordination with other benefits still matter. People should check the official eligibility criteria before assuming they qualify.
For patients, dental coverage is not cosmetic or optional in the broader sense. Poor oral health can affect nutrition, infection risk, chronic disease management, employability, and quality of life. For clinics and healthcare planners, dental coverage is also part of a larger access conversation: Canada's public system protects essential medical care, but many health-related needs remain outside the core basket.
Health insurance and healthcare access are connected, but not the same
One of the most important realities in Canada is that having health insurance does not always mean having timely access. A person may be fully covered by provincial insurance and still struggle to find a family doctor. A clinic may be willing to take patients but lack physician capacity. A newcomer may have a health card but not know where to go. A patient may have private benefits but no clear pathway to the right provider.
That is where Careviv's broader mission becomes relevant. Health insurance helps determine who pays for care. But healthcare access depends on whether there are enough clinicians, whether clinics can expand capacity, whether patients can find openings, and whether the system can connect people to the right care in a practical way.
This is particularly important for primary care. Canada's public insurance model is built around physician and hospital coverage, but the front door to the system is often the family doctor or primary care clinic. When that front door is hard to access, patients turn to walk-in clinics, urgent care, emergency departments, virtual care, or delayed care. Insurance coverage alone cannot solve that problem.
Careviv's work sits in that gap. By helping people understand healthcare access and supporting clinic and physician capacity, including pathways for UK-trained GPs to relocate and practise in Canada, the goal is not just to explain the system. It is to help strengthen the system.
What patients should look for when choosing private health insurance
For patients, the best private health insurance plan is not always the cheapest plan. A low monthly premium may come with low annual maximums, waiting periods, limited drug coverage, or exclusions for pre-existing conditions. The better question is: what risk are you trying to protect against?
Someone who only needs basic dental cleanings and occasional prescriptions may prioritize affordability. A self-employed person with a family may care more about predictable reimbursement for dental, vision, and prescription costs. A newcomer waiting for provincial coverage should prioritize emergency medical protection during the waiting period. A frequent traveller should look closely at out-of-province and out-of-country emergency coverage.
Patients should also review:
- whether a plan covers prescription drugs by drug identification number,
- whether dental coverage includes major restorative work,
- whether vision benefits are meaningful,
- whether paramedical services have per-visit and annual limits,
- and whether mental health counselling is included.
The details matter more than the marketing headline, especially when choosing among health insurance plans or personal health insurance products that fit your health and health insurance priorities.
What newcomers and UK-trained professionals should understand
For newcomers, the most important message is simple: apply for public health insurance as early as possible, but do not assume coverage begins immediately. Provincial rules differ. Ontario has no OHIP waiting period for eligible applicants, while British Columbia may have a waiting period for MSP. During any gap, private insurance can be essential.
For UK-trained GPs and other healthcare professionals considering Canada, health insurance is also part of understanding the clinical and economic structure of Canadian healthcare. Canada's system is publicly funded but not centrally operated like the NHS. Provincial insurance plans, licensing bodies, health authorities, clinic ownership models, and patient demand all interact. A family physician in Canada may work in a clinic that bills the provincial plan, serves publicly insured patients, and still operates as an independent business environment.
That is why relocation support cannot only be about licensing paperwork. It also needs to explain how care is funded, how clinics operate, how patient attachment works, and how provincial systems differ. For physicians, these details affect professional fit. For clinics, they affect recruitment, onboarding, and long-term retention.
The bottom line
Health insurance in Canada is not one system, but two layers working side by side. The first layer is public health insurance, which protects eligible residents from direct charges for medically necessary hospital and physician care. The second layer is private or supplemental coverage, which helps pay for the many services that public insurance may not fully cover.
Canada's public system is one of the country's most important social institutions. But it is not a complete answer to every healthcare cost or access problem. That is why Canadians search for health insurance plans, private medical insurance, health and dental insurance, Blue Cross-style coverage, and provincial health insurance rules. They are trying to understand where public coverage ends and personal responsibility begins.
For patients, the key is to know your provincial coverage, identify your gaps, and choose supplemental insurance based on real needs rather than slogans. For newcomers, the key is to avoid being uninsured during a waiting period. For clinics and physicians, the key is to understand that insurance coverage is only one part of access; capacity, navigation, and primary care availability matter just as much.
Canada's healthcare system is often admired from the outside. But from the inside, it is more nuanced. Public insurance protects people from the biggest costs of essential care. Private insurance fills important gaps. And the next phase of Canadian healthcare will depend not only on who pays, but on whether patients can actually find care when they need it.
Q&A
Is healthcare in Canada really "free," and what does the public plan actually cover?
Canada's system is best seen as publicly funded insurance for medically necessary hospital and physician services, administered by provinces and territories within the Canada Health Act framework. That means eligible residents aren't billed at the point of service for insured hospital and physician care (and certain surgical-dental services if performed in hospital). Plans like OHIP (Ontario), MSP (B.C.), AHCIP (Alberta), and MSI (Nova Scotia) share this core. But "medically necessary" is defined provincially, so details vary by province, age, service category, and clinical context. Many common needs — prescription drugs outside hospital, dental, vision, paramedical services, ambulance fees, private/semi-private rooms, and travel medical emergencies — often fall outside the public plan.
Why would I buy private health insurance in Canada if I already have a provincial health card?
Private insurance usually supplements — not replaces — the public plan. It helps pay for services the province may not fully cover, such as dental care, prescriptions outside hospital, vision care, physiotherapy, counselling, and travel emergencies. It's especially valuable for three groups: (1) people without employer benefits (e.g., freelancers, small business owners, part-time or temporary workers, some retirees and newcomers) — noting that 66.8% of employees had workplace medical or dental benefits in 2024, which leaves a substantial minority without; (2) newcomers facing provincial waiting periods; and (3) anyone who wants protection for common out-of-pocket health expenses not insured publicly.
I'm moving to Canada. How do I get health insurance, and will I have a waiting period?
Apply for your provincial/territorial plan as soon as you arrive and meet eligibility requirements; you'll receive a health card to present for insured services. Waiting periods depend on the province. Ontario states there is no waiting period for OHIP once you're eligible. British Columbia's MSP may start up to three months after arrival, and the province recommends private insurance during that gap. The federal government similarly advises that newcomers, returning Canadians, international students, and temporary workers secure private coverage if a waiting period applies.
How should I choose a private health or health-and-dental plan?
Start with the risk you want to protect against, not just the lowest premium. Compare plans based on: drug coverage (e.g., by drug identification number), co-pays, and annual maximums; dental scope (cleanings vs. major restorative), waiting periods, and reimbursement levels; vision benefits (exams, glasses/contacts, meaningful dollar limits); paramedical services (physio, massage, counselling) with per-visit and annual caps; mental health counselling inclusion and limits; travel medical coverage (out-of-province/out-of-country emergencies); and exclusions, pre-existing condition rules, and overall annual/benefit maximums. Your health needs and usage patterns should drive the choice more than brand names or slogans.
What is the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), and does it mean dental care is now free?
The CDCP is a federal program designed to reduce financial barriers by helping cover some oral health costs for eligible residents without dental coverage. It's a significant step, but it doesn't automatically give every Canadian free dental care. Eligibility criteria, coverage levels, participating providers, and how the CDCP coordinates with any other benefits still matter. Many people will continue to rely on employer benefits or private health-and-dental plans for broader or more predictable coverage.
Who decides what counts as "medically necessary," and why does coverage differ by province?
The Canada Health Act sets national principles, but provinces and territories decide what services are insured under their own plans. There is no single national list. All plans cover medically necessary hospital and physician services (and certain surgical-dental services performed in hospital), but specifics vary by province, age group, service category, and clinical context. That's why items like prescription drugs outside hospital, dental, and vision often sit outside the public plan.
I have workplace benefits — do I still need a personal health-and-dental plan?
Maybe not, but review your group plan closely. Employer benefits often have annual maximums, co-pays, exclusions, waiting periods, and reimbursement limits. Check details like drug coverage (by DIN), dental scope (including major restorative work), vision amounts, paramedical caps, mental health counselling, and travel coverage. If you're changing jobs, retiring, or working part-time/temporary (groups less likely to have robust benefits), an individual plan can act as a bridge or top-up.
Does having public or private health insurance guarantee timely access to care?
No. Insurance determines who pays, not whether a provider is available. People can have full public coverage and still struggle to find a family doctor or timely appointments. Access depends on clinician supply, clinic capacity, and system navigation. That's why Careviv focuses on both sides: helping patients find care and supporting clinic and physician capacity so openings actually exist.
I'm a UK-trained GP considering Canada — how is the system different from the NHS for practice and payment?
Canada isn't a single national health service. It's a publicly funded, provincially administered insurance model with much care delivered through privately operated clinics. Family physicians typically bill the provincial plan (or use alternative payment models); patients aren't charged at the point of service for insured visits, but clinics still function as independent businesses. Understanding provincial insurance rules, licensing, clinic operations, and patient attachment is essential. Private insurance mainly affects patient-side services (e.g., drugs, dental, allied health), not core physician remuneration.
