Healthcare in Canada 2026: Medicare, provinces & insurance

Healthcare in Canada: the public system

Canada's public system, known as Medicare, provides universal coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services to citizens and permanent residents. It is publicly funded but not a single national plan: each of the 13 provinces and territories runs its own insurance plan under the standards of the federal Canada Health Act. To get care you register with your province and receive a provincial health card (OHIP in Ontario, MSP in British Columbia, RAMQ in Quebec, and so on).

The Canada Health Act sets the conditions a provincial plan must meet to receive federal funding: public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility. In practice that means no charge at the point of care for insured hospital and doctor visits — you show your card, not your wallet.

What Medicare does not cover

Public coverage is limited to medically necessary hospital and physician care. Prescription drugs taken outside hospital, most dental care, optometry, physiotherapy and ambulance services are generally not covered, though provinces fund some of these for specific groups such as children and seniors. This is why most residents carry supplementary private insurance — often through an employer — to cover drugs, dental and vision. Waiting times for family doctors, specialists and non-urgent procedures can be long, another reason some people also use private options where available.

Coverage for newcomers and the waiting period

New permanent residents are eligible for Medicare, but the start date varies by province. Some provinces cover you from your arrival date; others impose a waiting period of up to three months before your provincial card activates. Because the clock typically starts from the date you establish residency, IRCC recommends applying for your provincial health card in your first week and buying private health insurance to cover the gap. Note that insurers often require you to purchase newcomer cover within a few days of arriving. Refugees and certain protected persons who are not yet in a provincial plan may be covered temporarily by the federal Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).

At a glance

Where it fits in a borderless plan

Canada pairs strong universal hospital and physician care with meaningful gaps — drugs, dental, vision and wait times — that private cover fills. Healthcare is one of the practical pillars of actually living somewhere. Weigh it with schooling, banking, and where you are tax-resident. Compare systems in our healthcare-abroad guide.