Medicare: 13 provincial/territorial single-payer plans cover medically necessary hospital and physician care with no fee at the point of use. Drugs (outside hospital), dental and vision are largely private or separately funded.
Emergency number: 911
Benchmarks exist for priority procedures (e.g. hip/knee replacement within 182 days, radiation within 28 days). Waits for family doctors, specialists and scans (MRI/CT) are a well-known pressure point.
CIHI wait-times reporting + provincial dashboards ↗
| Milestone | Reference |
|---|---|
| Hip/knee replacement (benchmark) | 182 days (~26w) |
| Cataract surgery (benchmark) | 112 days (~16w) |
| Radiation therapy (benchmark) | 28 days (~4w) |
Typical self-pay prices — for an exact figure use the official links above or ask a clinic for a written quote.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Private/virtual GP visit (uninsured) | C$60–C$120 |
| Specialist (uninsured) | C$150–C$300 |
| Private MRI (where allowed) | C$700–C$1,200 |
Outside hospital, drugs are covered by employer plans, provincial programs (varies by age/income) or paid out of pocket. A national pharmacare program is being phased in for some drug classes.
Very limited. A few provinces have narrow reciprocal arrangements; most visitors pay in full. Visitor rates for a hospital bed can exceed CAD 3,000–5,000 per day.