Health care in Canada is delivered through a publicly-funded healthcare system, which is mostly free at the point of use and has most services provided by private entities.

Canada's national health insurance program, known as Medicare, is best described as an interlocking set of ten provincial and three territorial health insurance plans.

The government assures the quality of care through federal standards which provides funding through cash and tax transfers to the provinces and territories to help pay for health care services. The provincial and territorial governments are responsible for the management, organisation and delivery of health services for their residents.

About 30% of Canadians' healthcare is paid for through the private sector. This mostly goes towards services not covered or only partially covered by Medicare, such as prescription drugs, dentistry and optometry.

Health Care in Canada

As a whole, the population of Canada is in good health, with life expectancy at birth for women at 84 years and for men at 80 years.

Your first interaction with the health system will most likely be via a GP as patients must always be referred by a GP to a specialist. Currently, patients do not pay out of pocket costs to visit their doctor. Boards in each province regulate the cost, which is then reimbursed by the federal government.

Dental care is not required to be covered by the government insurance plans and can be very costly. Canadians rely on their employers, individual private insurance or pay cash themselves for dental treatments.

Government Responsibilities

Canada uses a mix of public and private organisations to deliver health care and, in turn, these organisations bill the provincial health authorities.

Under the terms of the Canada Health Act, all "insured persons" who are legal residents of Canada or permanent residents are entitled to receive "insured services" without co-payment.

Publicly-funded insurance is organised at the level of the province/territory; each manages its own insurance system, including issuing its own healthcare identification cards.

The Federal Government has no direct role in the delivery of medicine in the provinces and territories so each province and territory has its own independent public health insurance programme. Under the Canada Health Act, each province and territory must provide services to members of plans in other provinces and territories.

Roles of Different Agencies and Departments

The following agencies and departments are the main contributors in the Canadian healthcare industry. 

Health Canada - The government department responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health, administer national principles and deliver health care services. 

Medical Council of Canada - Committed to ensuring the best possible medical care in Canada by promoting a uniform standard of qualification to practice medicine for all physicians. 

College of Family Physicians of Canada - Responsible for setting standards for training and for a national certification examination for graduates of these programness. 

College des médecins du Québec - Administers certification exams in Family Medicine and other Specialties. 

Physician Credentials Registry of Canada - Established to provide a centralized, uniform process to obtain primary source verification of a physician’s diploma and other core medical credentials. 

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada – An organisation that oversees the medical education of specialists in Canada.