Public vs. Private Healthcare in Canada

Health care has been publicly administered in Canada since 1966, when it was made part of the Canada Health Act. Doctors and other health care professionals in Canada are self-employed, and health clinics and hospitals are mostly private companies. What the term "public" means, in this context, is just that the majority of health care costs are covered by Canada's federal and provincial governments. Some people are able and willing to pay for their own health care treatments, and there are a number of clinics that cater to them. This is the private health care system.

Coverage

• To be eligible for Canadian public health care coverage, there is only one major requirement: You must be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. Most of your medical needs will be covered with little or no personal cost if you meet this condition. Private coverage does not really exist in Canada. You can purchase supplemental health insurance for full or partial coverage of things like dental work or chiropractics, but there is no separate system of health insurance. If you want private health care, you will generally have to pay the costs yourself.

Wait Times

• Besides cost, the major difference between public and private health care in Canada is how long you have to wait for treatment. For patients paying for private health care, wait times are often much shorter. The public health care system has a large proportion of patients waiting for treatment who are unwilling or unable to cover their own medical expenses.

Drug Coverage

• Most prescription drugs are covered by Canada's public health system, though coverage does vary from province to province. Some provinces will reimburse you for drug purchases after you have filed your receipts with the province, while others simply register the individual's name and health care number. On the private system, obviously, you will not be reimbursed for prescription drugs. It should be noted that it is almost impossible to get prescription drugs without a prescription, which you can only get from your doctor.

Other Services

• Some emergency services are not covered by public health care, such as ambulance pick-up. If you want a private room during your hospital stay, you will have to pay a fee. There are some supplemental health care insurance providers who will cover ambulance rides and other such services, but in general these costs will be paid by the individual. The exact prices vary by province.

Impact on Health Care

• The impact of allowing private health care on the overall quality of health care in Canada is an ongoing debate. There is a perception among some that those using private health care receive priority treatment. Currently, this is not the case, as public and private health care is not often administered at the same clinics. There are those who believe that the private health care system is essentially a competitor to the public system, keeping it accountable to market pressures. Several provinces in Canada are experimenting with various types of private health care systems.