Private Medical Insurance Plans
A private medical insurance plan is the key to extending your personal health coverage beyond the basic coverage provided by Canada’s Medicare system. As most people know, if you rely solely on provincial health insurance, you will discover how very quickly medical bills can pile up when you least expect it.
The provincial health care program is designed to offer residents basic access to medical coverage – no more, no less. There are many essential areas of medical coverage that, for the most part, do not make the cut, including:
- Prescribed medications
- Routine dental care
- Corrective vision care
- Physical and psychological therapies
- Emergency medical services when travelling abroad
Fortunately, a private medical insurance plan can be purchased through a number of health benefits providers. Each plan offers an “extension” of medical services to complement your existing provincial or territorial government plan.
You can really benefit from a private medical insurance plan if you:
- are self-employed
- work on contract or freelance
- have little or no group medical coverage at work
- lose your group health benefits at retirement