Health and dental insurance

Coverage for the health and dental costs your provincial plan doesn’t pay.

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Fills the gaps
prescriptions, dental, vision and therapies
Options for any health
plans with or without health questions
Stays with you
between jobs and into retirement

What’s covered

What your provincial plan leaves out.

If you live in Canada, your provincial plan covers doctor visits and hospital care, but little of the everyday costs. An individual health and dental plan, often called extended health care, picks up much of the rest.

  • Provincial health plan
  • Individual health and dental plan
  • What you pay yourself

Also commonly covered

  • Ambulance
  • Hospital accommodation
  • Emergency travel medical
  • Medical equipment

Illustration only. Provincial coverage varies, and some provinces cover certain drugs, eye exams or dental care for children and seniors. Individual plans have limits and deductibles.

Choosing a plan

Which plan is right for you?

Three kinds of individual plan, for three different situations. Two questions point you, and your family, to the right place to start.

  1. Did you leave a group plan through work in the last 60 days?

    If yes: Guaranteed-issue planNo health questions, if you apply within the window after your group plan ends: usually 60 days, sometimes up to 90.Healthy? A medically underwritten plan may cost less. We’ll check both before your window closes.

    If no

  2. Are you, and everyone you want to cover, generally healthy and comfortable answering health questions?

    If yes: Medically underwritten planUsually the most coverage for your money. Pre-existing conditions are usually excluded.

    If no

Otherwise: Guaranteed-acceptance planAccepted with no health questions, at any time

Not sure where you fit?

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A starting point, not advice. Applying within 60 days of leaving a group plan keeps the most options open.

Three types

How the plans compare.

Three types of individual health and dental plan
FeatureMedically underwrittenGuaranteed issueGuaranteed acceptance
Health questionsYesNoNo
Pre-existing conditionsUsually excludedCoveredCovered
When you can applyAny time, if you qualify medicallyWithin the window after group coverage ends, usually 60 daysAny time, acceptance guaranteed
Relative costLowestModerateHighest
More about each typeMedically underwritten plansGuaranteed issue plansGuaranteed acceptance plans

  • Medically underwritten

    Health questions:
    Yes
    Pre-existing conditions:
    Usually excluded
    When you can apply:
    Any time, if you qualify medically
    Relative cost:
    Lowest
    Medically underwritten plans

  • Guaranteed issue

    Health questions:
    No
    Pre-existing conditions:
    Covered
    When you can apply:
    Within the window after group coverage ends, usually 60 days
    Relative cost:
    Moderate
    Guaranteed issue plans

  • Guaranteed acceptance

    Health questions:
    No
    Pre-existing conditions:
    Covered
    When you can apply:
    Any time, acceptance guaranteed
    Relative cost:
    Highest
    Guaranteed acceptance plans

Before you buy

What to know.

  • Annual maximums

    Most benefits have a yearly limit, for example on dental, vision or paramedical visits.

  • Deductibles and co-insurance

    You may pay a set amount first, then a share of each claim. For example, the plan pays 80% and you pay 20%.

  • Waiting periods

    Some dental work, such as crowns or orthodontics, may only be covered after you’ve had the plan for a while.

  • Premiums and tax

    Premiums you pay for a health and dental plan count as eligible medical expenses for the medical expense tax credit.

Incorporated? Use both.

A health spending account is a tax-effective way for your business to pay routine, predictable costs. It isn’t insurance, though. If you’re diagnosed with a condition such as multiple sclerosis, medication can cost tens of thousands of dollars a year. A health insurance plan pays those costs instead of you or your business. Many owners have both. Health spending accounts

Cost

What affects the price.

  • Age

    Rates rise with age.

  • Single, couple or family

    The more people covered, the higher the premium.

  • Province or territory

    Prices vary with where you live.

  • Coverage level

    Plans with more benefits and higher limits cost more.

  • Type of plan

    Guaranteed plans cost more for the same coverage.

Engineers, geoscientists, technicians and technologists: your association gives you access to the Engineers Canada Professional Health & Dental Plans.

See the plans

Frequently asked questions

All questions
When should I apply for health and dental insurance?

If your group plan through work is ending, apply before it ends or within 60 days after. Most insurers offer a guaranteed issue plan, with no health questions, within 60 days of group coverage ending, and some allow up to 90, so applying within 60 days keeps the most options open. If you have no group plan to leave, you can apply at any time, and a medically underwritten plan is easier to qualify for while you’re healthy.

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What do I need to get health and dental insurance?

You need to live in Canada and be covered by your provincial or territorial health plan, and plans set age limits. Beyond that, each type has its own rule:

  • a medically underwritten plan asks health questions;
  • a guaranteed issue plan needs you to apply within the window after your group coverage ends;
  • a guaranteed acceptance plan only needs you to meet the basic rules.

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How long does it take to get health and dental insurance?

It depends on the type of plan. A medically underwritten plan usually takes about three weeks, mostly waiting for records from your doctors. Guaranteed issue and guaranteed acceptance plans ask no health questions, so they usually start on the first of the month after your application is approved.

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What types of individual health and dental plans are there?

There are three. A medically underwritten plan asks health questions: it usually gives you the most coverage for your money, but the insurer can decline you or exclude a condition you already have. A guaranteed issue plan asks no health questions if you apply within the window after your group coverage through work ends, usually 60 days and sometimes up to 90. A guaranteed acceptance plan asks no health questions and you can apply at any time, but it gives you the least coverage for each dollar. See how the three plans differ.

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Do I need a medical exam to get health and dental insurance?

Usually not. Most individual health and dental plans don’t need a medical exam. A medically underwritten plan asks health questions, and the insurer may also ask your doctor for your records. Guaranteed issue and guaranteed acceptance plans ask no health questions at all.

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