Is health care in Canada free?

In Canada’s health care system, some services are free at the point of service while others require the patient to pay a fee.

Roughly 70% of health care spending in Canada is covered by the government, paid for with tax dollars. (Some of those services may still require some payment from the patient.) The other 30%? Some services you pay for directly, or they may be covered by private or employer insurance.

What do we mean by “universal health coverage”?   

Hospitals, doctors and diagnostics, mostly. Under the Canada Health Act, all Canadian residents must have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services without paying out of pocket. The Canada Health Act does not define what is “medically necessary.” This is determined at the provincial and territorial level and varies between jurisdictions.

Universality, which is one of five standards outlined in the Canada Health Act, means that provincial and territorial health plans must cover all residents. It does not mean that it needs to cover all health procedures.

Why am I paying at the doctor’s office?  

It might not be covered. Depending on where you live, some services may be non-insured and therefore cost you money.

• Coverage for virtual telemedicine visits, for example, varies across provinces and territories. In areas where this service is non-insured, patients can still access doctors or nurse practitioners on several popular telehealth services — for a fee.
• Completion of forms and medical records like sick notes and insurance documentation also falls outside of public insurance.
• According to The Commonwealth Fund, about 67% of Canadians also have some sort of private, often employer-sponsored, supplementary health insurance to help cover expenses like prescription drugs, dental and vision care.

Dive deeper: How is health care is funded in Canada?