Public administration
A public authority must administer the plan on a non-profit basis.
Quick answer
Canada's health care system — often called Medicare — is a publicly funded, universal system. It is not one national insurance company. Health Canada describes it as 13 provincial and territorial insurance plans. Eligible residents apply for public coverage in the province or territory where they live and use that health card for medically necessary hospital and physician services.
You generally do not pay at the hospital or doctor's office for insured services. Taxes fund those services. Coverage for dental care, vision, outpatient drugs, ambulance, and similar extras varies and is often incomplete.
How the Canadian health care system works
Health Canada says Canada has a universal health care system funded through taxes. Eligible residents of a province or territory apply for that government's health insurance plan. Each province and territory decides who qualifies as a resident.
Roles are shared. Provinces and territories deliver services and regulate providers such as doctors and nurses. The federal government sets national standards in the Canada Health Act, helps fund care through the Canada Health Transfer, and delivers services to specific groups (for example, some First Nations and Inuit programs, federal inmates, and eligible veterans).
Provincial delivery
Your card is issued by Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, or another jurisdiction — not by a single national plan.
Federal standards
Plans must meet Canada Health Act criteria to receive their full Canada Health Transfer payment.
Need, not ability to pay
The accessibility standard requires reasonable access to medically necessary services based on medical need.
The Canada Health Act criteria
Health Canada lists five standards provincial and territorial plans must meet:
Comprehensiveness
The plan must insure medically necessary hospital, physician, and in-hospital surgical-dental services and cover their full cost.
Universality
The plan must provide coverage for all residents.
Portability
Coverage continues when you travel in Canada, with limited coverage outside Canada, and for up to 3 months after you move to another province or territory until you register there.
Accessibility
Residents must have reasonable access based on medical need, not ability to pay.
“Medically necessary” is not defined in the Act. Provinces and territories decide, usually with their physician colleges or groups, which services count for insurance purposes.
What is covered — and what usually is not
Health Canada says all plans provide basic standards of coverage for insured health services: medically necessary hospital, physician, and some surgical-dental services. Public coverage also includes primary care from diagnosis to recovery, including first-contact services from a physician or other providers such as a nurse practitioner, plus medically necessary hospital services.
Typically insured
- Medically necessary doctor visits
- Hospital care and medically necessary hospital services
- Some surgical-dental procedures that must be done in hospital
- Primary care from diagnosis through recovery
Often not fully public
- Routine dental care, vision care, and many outpatient prescriptions
- Home care, ambulance, and similar extras unless a province adds them for some groups
- Cosmetic services and private-duty nursing
- Medical certificates for work, school, or insurance, and physician court testimony
- Preferred hospital rooms unless a physician prescribes them
Provinces and territories may add extra coverage for groups such as seniors, children, or people receiving social assistance. People who do not qualify for those extras pay themselves or use private insurance — often through an employer.
Health cards and how you enrol
You use a provincial or territorial health card as proof of coverage. Show it at clinics, emergency departments, and hospitals. There is no single national card.
Apply through the plan where you live. Examples of official starting points:
- Ontario — apply for OHIP
- Quebec — Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)
- British Columbia — Medical Services Plan
- Alberta — Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
Eligibility rules differ. Ontario currently states there is no waiting period for OHIP if you qualify, and you apply in person at ServiceOntario with identity, residency, and status documents. Other provinces set their own residency tests and documents. Always use the official page for the province you are joining.
Moving between provinces or arriving as a newcomer
If you already have public coverage and move inside Canada, the Canada Health Act portability standard is: your previous plan covers you for up to 3 months until you can register under the new plan. Apply for the new health card as soon as you have a local address. Keep the old card until the new plan confirms coverage.
If you are arriving from another country, public coverage is not automatic at the airport. You need eligible status (for example, citizenship, permanent residence, or a qualifying work permit) and you must meet the province's residency rules. Some newcomers buy private insurance for any gap before the provincial card is issued.
Americans comparing this system to US insurance should also read our Canada healthcare guide for Americans. This page explains the Canadian system itself.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Canadian health care system work?
It is a tax-funded universal system made of 13 provincial and territorial plans. Eligible residents use a local health card for medically necessary hospital and physician services. The federal Canada Health Act sets the standards those plans must meet.
Is health care in Canada free?
Insured services are funded by taxes, so you typically do not pay the doctor or hospital for those services. You still pay for many uninsured items, and some people buy private insurance for drugs, dental, and vision.
What does Canadian public health insurance cover?
Health Canada describes basic coverage as medically necessary hospital, physician, and some surgical-dental services. Provinces decide the exact insured list. Extra programs for seniors, children, or social-assistance recipients vary by jurisdiction.
Do I get coverage immediately if I move between provinces?
Federal portability rules require coverage for up to 3 months after an interprovincial move until you register in the new province. Confirm dates with both plans. If you are leaving Ontario for Quebec, use our Ontario to Quebec checklist.
Who qualifies for a provincial health card?
Each province sets residency and status rules. Citizens and permanent residents are the usual core group. Some temporary workers and other IRCC statuses also qualify. Check the official enrolment page before you assume coverage.
Compare provinces after you understand coverage
Health rules are provincial. Use the calculator and city tools to see how housing, taxes, and daily costs differ once you pick a place to live.
This page summarizes official Health Canada and provincial descriptions for general information. Plans change. Confirm enrolment, waiting rules, and insured services with the province or territory where you live.