Canadian Private Health Insurance

Ongoing debate in the United States over the delivery of health care insurance to Americans often refers to Canada 's universal system for contrast. In Canada , all legal residents qualify for health insurance care as administered through the ten provincial and three territorial governments. The question is this: is it necessary for Canadians to have Canadian private health insurance coverage when they already have provincial health insurance?

Canada’s Double-Edged Sword in Health Insurance

Canada’s public health insurance gives all its residents free health care, regardless of employment status, income, or health status. This means no one goes uninsured, but the wait times for services are growing. In 2004, wait times remained steady at 17 weeks across all medical specialties and provinces, a 90 percent increase over wait times in 1993.

The Fraser Institute calculated the average wait between getting a referral and actually seeing a specialist was four months in 2003. Waits for critical treatment range from six weeks to a year, and if you need an MRI, Canadians can expect to wait four months because they are prevented from going to a privately funded provider.

Limited Possibilities for Canadian Private Health Insurance

Canadian doctors in the government health plan are private practitioners but the government pays their bills. Currently, 31.3% of health insurance in Canada is either financed by private employer-sponsored plans or directly out of pocket. These services offered by Canadian private health insurance are limited and cover dental, some prescription drugs, and medical supplies.

Most Canadian provincial law prevents private insurers from offering coverage that “duplicates that of governmental programs.” Therefore, private insurance in Canada is curtailed by these restrictions and is only supplemental. A Montreal physician engaged unsuccessfully in court battles for decade to get Quebec to allow a parallel private insurance system. The case is still under consideration by the Supreme Court.

According to Pierre LeMieux of Vancouver 's Fraser Institute, private expenditures can cover only supplementary insurance and out-of-pocket payments for non-assured care like prescription drugs (depending on the province). Thus, while more private health insurance could certainly benefit Canadians who need more than preventive health care, it doesn't stand a chance with the system in place. Therefore, the question if private coverage is necessary is a moot point beyond what fringe benefits are allowed through private insurers.

In Canada , public health insurance is the status quo, and opportunities to receive important medical care through Canadian private health insurance are close to nil.

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