How to Help Someone Who is Sick in Canada Without Health Insurance

Contrary to a popular misconception, the Canadian healthcare system is not "public"--unlike a country like Britain, where the government owns most facilities, Canada simply covers most procedures. The systems vary from province to province, and were set up to work in this manner. Supplemental private insurance is an option, but it can only be used to cover gaps in the system.

Things You'll Need

• Supplemental insurance (option)
• Canadian permanent residency or citizenship (unless it is an emergency, in which case anyone is taken)

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Instructions

• 1

  Determine which province you live in. If you live in or are a permanent resident of Canada, you are entitled to most types of healthcare, which is covered from 90 to 99 percent; the remainder is paid by supplemental insurance or out of pocket.

  The provinces and names of their public healthcare are as follows: Alberta (Alberta Healthcare Insurance Plan), British Columbia (Medical Services Plan), Manitoba (Manitoba Health), New Brunswick (Medicare), Newfoundland and Labrador (Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Care Plan), Northwest Territories (NWT Health Care Insurance Plan), Nova Scotia (Medical Service Insurance Plan), Nunavut (Nunavut Health Care Plan), Ontario (Ontario Insurance Health Plan or OHIP), Prince Edward Island (Medicare), Quebec (Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, or RAMQ), Saskatchewan (Saskatchewan Medical Care Insurance Plan), and Yukon (Yukon Health Care Insurance Plan).

  In any one of these provinces, simply dial 411 in the province you are in (for emergencies, dial 911).

• 2

  Call the local healthcare insurance number and explain the issue. If it is an emergency, this is not necessary--otherwise you will be given a secondary number to call and assigned a doctor's office or "surgery" (as it is often called in Canada). You'll then be placed in a queue to wait for a call and/or letter for an appointment. Depending on the urgency, you can expect to wait anywhere from days to weeks or even months.

  In emergency cases, you will be transported by ambulance and admitted at once.

• 3

  Find a clinic. If you're a foreigner in Canada, this is the best option. Although emergency medicine is never refused anyone in Canada, foreigners do not have the same rights to a mere doctor visit as do residents and citizens. In these cases, you must find a clinic that will accept private "traveler's insurance" or cash payments.

  Likewise, dental is not covered by the Canadian system unless you need a medical procedure requiring specialized oral surgeons, such as orthognathic surgery. You can arrange for dental-related appointments privately or with private insurance.

• 4

  Be prepared to wait. The Canadian system is a hybrid between government-funded private insurance and a privatized system. No matter what the problem, barring serious emergencies, expect to wait. Also be prepared to either have supplemental private insurance to cover what the state does not cover or to pay out of pocket for non-emergency visits.