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If you're moving to Canada from the United States, it's likely that you have a lot of questions about health insurance in Canada. You might be wondering whether or not Canada's health care is free. If you're looking for more information about Canadian health care, you'll be able to find some answers here.

Everyone In Canada Is Insured

No one in Canada is uninsured. Everyone is able to get health care when they need it. Because Canada has government-provided health insurance, every individual in Canada has access to health care, regardless of their net worth.

Insurance Laws

Even though insurance laws in the United States have changed, there are still many people out there that are uninsured. Because of this, people are often surprised when they come to Canada and see that every single person has access to health care.

Insurance Is Funded By Taxes

Obviously, everything has to be paid for in some way. Health insurance in Canada is funded through taxes. The money from taxpayers is used to provide many things, including schools, safe roads, and health care.

The taxes in Canada aren't unusually high, but it's a smart idea to look at tax rates before moving to the country. That way, you'll have a better picture of what you're paying in taxes. You'll be able to see if your taxes will be increasing or decreasing on the whole. Most residents are happy to know that their taxes are being used to provide services that they actually use.

Some People In Canada Pay For Insurance

Even though everyone that lives in Canada has access to health care, there are still people that pay for additional insurance. Why do people choose to do this? While every individual has their own reasons, there are a few reasons that people opt to purchase additional insurance coverage.

One of the main reasons that people decide to buy extra insurance in Canada is because they want to be able to see specialists. Separate insurance policies may cover care that isn't covered under standard insurance plans. There are also people that purchase travel insurance so that they can receive care when they're abroad.

Supplemental Insurance In Canada Can Be Very Affordable

Since it isn't essential for people to buy health insurance in Canada, the rates for insurance aren't as high as you might think. In fact, some people are shocked when they see how reasonable the prices are.

Insurance companies want to incentivize people to purchase coverage, which is why they tend to make their rates competitive. If you think that extra insurance isn't worth the cost, you might want to take a closer look. You might be able to get a lot for your money.

Canada does provide free health care to all residents. While this coverage is paid for by taxes, you have access to health care even if you are unemployed. With that said, some people in Canada opt to pay more for additional coverage. It's best to learn more about this before moving to Canada.

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There are many countries in the world today that provide what is called universal healthcare. Some of these countries have been doing so for well over 100 years. This type of coverage will allow their citizens to go to doctors to get treatments, as well as get prescription medications, free of charge. Of course, they are paying for this health insurance through their taxes, but by comparison to paying for health insurance as they do in the United States, it is a much more cost-effective solution. In the country of Canada, they have been offering single-payer universal healthcare since 1966. However, there are those that may actually pay for their health insurance to some degree. This is an overview of how much it will cost for Canadians to have health insurance.

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost In Canada?

The cost of health insurance for each individual, taken directly out of their taxes, comes out to $2000 Canadian money. When extrapolated to a monthly cost, this comes out to just over $160 per person per month. If they were to visit a doctor or have a procedure done, all of this would be covered by the policy. However, some things are not covered by this universal healthcare which is why many Canadians will pay for additional health insurance coverage.

What Is Not Covered By Universal Healthcare In Canada?

Similar to many universal policies throughout the world, the health coverage provided through the Canada Health Act will not cover dental care, long-term care, or prescription drugs. In order to get coverage for these things, additional coverage must be purchased. This can be obtained from many companies that offer this secondary insurance which will cover all of those things and more. By getting quotes from each company, you can see exactly how much it will cost, what the deductible will be, and your monthly premiums.

Total Cost Of Health Coverage In Canada

The average person in Canada, as stated before, pays about $2000 Canadian money for universal healthcare out of their taxes. Supplemental plans will cost, on average, about $4000 per person. In total, Canadians will pay about $500 Canadian money for health insurance, of which about $330 per month will come out of pocket. For young people that are single, this could be a sizable investment, whereas older people with many medical problems will see this as a cost-effective solution.

Although many countries throughout the world offer universal healthcare, they will not always cover everything. Places like the UK have even more comprehensive policies that cover all appointments, treatments, and nearly every prescription drug you can get with a prescription. If you are in Canada, and you don’t go to the doctor that often, the universal healthcare that is free will likely be enough. However, you always have the option of getting supplemental Canadian health insurance that can help pay for expensive long-term health care, dental work, and prescription medications that you may need to use on a regular basis.

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If things have gone smoothly in your life recently, prepare for the worst. Usually, that is a sign of bad things to come. In fact, this isn’t just putting sending bad luck your way, this is a universal law known as Murphy’s law.

All in all, Murphy’s law states that what can go wrong, will eventually go wrong. Returning to the original point, that is why it is important to prepare for the worst. Other people would even argue that not preparing is preparing to fail.

With all of that said, one of the best ways to prepare for any life mishap is by insuring yourself. One of the good things about insurance agencies is that they do a good job of covering a large area that includes life insurance, dental insurance, and everything else in between.

That’s why it’s no surprise to hear that insurance agencies are in an industry that is worth over $1 trillion. For that matter, it doesn’t seem like the industry is slowing down.

If anything, it’s growing at a faster rate than ever before. Nonetheless, with all of this in mind, let’s take a look at the top 4 insurance agencies in Atlantic Canada.

 

#4: GMS Health Insurance

Let’s be honest for a second, insurance agencies have to cover a lot of ground. From meeting client needs in a timely manner to agency reputation and ratings, the amount they have to handle is impressive, to say the least. However, if it came down to one important quality, that quality has to be customer care and attention. Well, with GMS Health Insurance, that is by far there best quality. They have worked under a reputation for providing the highest quality customer service for some time now.

 

#3: GreatWest Life

For the insurance company GreatWest Life, if we had to describe its best feature it would be adaptable. GreatWest Life is well-known for meeting the needs of people in different situations. As far as how they do so, they do it through a focus on two main insurance coverage packages. The two packages are Enhanced Care and Plan Direct.

 

#2: Sunlife Financial

At Sunlife Financial, they are all about extended healthcare. In other words, they make it extremely easy and beneficial for entire generations of families to stay on the same plan. Not only does this help save money but, it also contributes to limiting any hassle that other insurance agencies make their clients go through. Overall, it is one of the easiest family insurance agencies in all of Atlantic Canada.

 

#1: Blue Country Insurance

At number one, we have the insurance agency Blue Country Insurance. What makes them special and different from any other insurance agency is there unique Flexcare Health, Life and Dental Package. They have garnered quite the following from that package alone. Apart from that, they are one of the most flexible insurance agencies around. They are able to fit into the schedule of any client for any reason. More than anything, they pride themselves in working for the client, not the other way around, very personal and one on one.

Insurance Agencies as A Whole

As a whole, there is no perfect choice when it comes to insurance agencies. Each insurance agency has their unique features that are going to attract different clients. For the most part, it’s going to come down to personal preference and situation. That being said, we have to remember that the main goal of getting insured is to prepare for the worst that will eventually come. It’s an unavoidable reality of our lives. So, if you are able to prepare ourselves for when the time comes, there is no doubt that it will save you some valuable time and money.