Compare the top private health insurance providers in Canada — see cover, features and typical rates side by side.
19 live offers compared from 13 providers. Updated daily.
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Provincial and territorial health plans cover hospital care and visits to doctors, but they leave out a great deal that Canadians pay for every day — prescription drugs, dental care, vision, physiotherapy, mental-health therapy and paramedical services. Private health insurance, usually sold as extended health or supplementary benefits, fills those gaps. It comes either through an employer group plan or as an individual policy you buy yourself.
For the roughly one in three Canadians without workplace coverage — the self-employed, contractors, early retirees and those between jobs — an individual plan is the practical route to predictable costs on drugs and dental.
Coverage is built from modules: prescription drugs, dental, vision, and paramedical care such as massage, chiropractic and psychology. Plans set annual maximums per category, co-insurance percentages (often 70% to 100%), and sometimes deductibles. Guaranteed-issue plans skip medical questions but cap pre-existing conditions, while medically underwritten plans ask health questions in exchange for broader coverage.
Because provincial medicare handles the big-ticket hospital and physician costs, Canadian private health insurance is about smoothing recurring out-of-pocket expenses rather than paying for surgery.
Drug coverage — reimburses prescriptions that provincial plans often do not, a major cost for chronic conditions.
Dental and vision — routine cleanings, fillings, glasses and exams that medicare excludes entirely.
Paramedical care — physiotherapy, mental-health therapy, massage and chiropractic up to annual limits.
Budget certainty — a fixed monthly premium in place of unpredictable lump-sum bills.
Match the plan to your actual spending. If you take regular medication, prioritise a strong drug module and check the annual maximum; families with children often value dental and vision most. Compare co-insurance percentages, per-category caps and whether the plan is guaranteed-issue or underwritten. Read the pre-existing-condition rules carefully, and if you are leaving a group plan, ask about conversion options that waive medical questions within a set window.
Manulife, Sun Life and Canada Life are the largest insurers, offering individual and group extended health plans nationwide. The Blue Cross network operates regionally across the provinces, Green Shield Canada is a health-focused not-for-profit, and Desjardins is a major provider particularly strong in Quebec. Many buyers compare a Manulife or Sun Life guaranteed-issue plan against a regional Blue Cross offering.
Premiums vary widely by age, province, family size and the modules chosen. A basic individual plan can start around C$50 to C$80 a month, while comprehensive family coverage with strong drug, dental and paramedical limits can exceed C$300 a month. Guaranteed-issue plans usually cost more for equivalent coverage because the insurer cannot screen for health.
Insurers are federally solvency-regulated by OSFI, while market conduct and licensing sit with provincial regulators — for example FSRA in Ontario and the AMF in Quebec. Policyholder protection against insurer insolvency is provided by Assuris, the industry-backed guarantee fund for life and health insurers. In Quebec, the AMF also oversees advisor conduct and disclosure.
Does this replace provincial health care? — No; it supplements medicare by covering drugs, dental, vision and therapies that the public plan does not.
Will pre-existing conditions be covered? — Underwritten plans may cover them after disclosure; guaranteed-issue plans typically limit or exclude them for an initial period.
Is it worth it without an employer plan? — For anyone with ongoing prescriptions or regular dental needs, the premium is usually less than paying out of pocket.
Giraffy tracks 5 private health insurance products across Sun Life,Canada Life,Manulife,Blue Cross Canada,Green Shield Canada insurers in Canada. Premiums depend heavily on age, health status, level of cover, and excess chosen.
Core cover usually includes: inpatient hospital treatment (surgery, overnight stays), specialist consultations, diagnostic tests, and sometimes cancer care. Many policies exclude mental health, dental, and optical as standard — these can be added as upgrades. Always check the specific policy schedule for exclusions.
Common exclusions include: pre-existing conditions (at least at first), chronic long-term conditions, cosmetic surgery, fertility treatment, organ transplants (often), and treatments abroad. Exclusions vary significantly between insurers — compare the policy wordings, not just the headline price.
The excess (or deductible) is the amount you pay towards each claim before the insurer covers the rest. A higher excess lowers your monthly premium. Set your excess at an amount you could comfortably afford to pay in a year — this balances premium savings against out-of-pocket cost if you need to claim.
Yes, but most insurers will exclude your pre-existing condition from the policy, or apply a 'moratorium' — where the condition is excluded until you've been symptom-free for 2+ years. 'Full medical underwriting' lets you know at outset exactly what's excluded, giving more certainty than a moratorium.
Mental health cover is increasingly included in standard policies, but terms vary significantly. Check whether inpatient psychiatric care, therapy sessions, and psychiatric medication are covered, and whether annual session limits apply. Some insurers offer digital mental health support as a standard perk.