Healthcare in canada

[meetme]

Hi guys,

I am hearing a lot of things about the healthcare benefits Canada is offering. How is it different from USA? As a permenant resident, what I will gain compared to USA. In USA, if you don't have health insurance through your company, it is so expensive that an average earning person cannot afford.

Do we need health insurance in Canada? How expensive it is to Visit a doctor (private or others) and what about medicines? Does the insurance cover that too?

Thanks in advance,

meetme

 

[tarantula]

Health insurance is run by the provincial governments, some provinces charge monthly premiums. For ex, BC monthly premium is about 30/month/person, I think, AB has no premium (free).
It's good for minor illnesses or injuries. If a major surgery needs to be done, there is a long waiting period. Medicines are cheaper.
One really good thing I like about it is that they are open all day on Saturday and you can walk in to any clinic. They will bill your medical plan directly. This is my BC experience.
Dental is a different story. In BC, you can get quick appointments, in AB you will have to wait for a month or so. This is not covered by the medical insurance. You will need separate insurance.
But if you are young, this should be low on your list of priorities, since you will hardly ever visit a clinic more than once/month.