Health Insurance Alberta: Comparison and Differences

Posted by Insurance Hero on January 28th, 2020

Canada offers free and universal healthcare to citizens and permanent residents. However, most people still take out private health insurance to make up for the lapses in the public plan. Why buy private insurance when you can get health service for free? Read on to compare health insurance in Alberta.

The Public Healthcare System in Canada

Public healthcare in Canada is established by the federal government and administered by the provincial or territorial government. It is available to every Canadian resident irrespective of their income and status. The healthcare system offers complete services but only medically necessary conditions are covered.

Medically necessary conditions might have different definitions for different provinces. For instance, in provinces like Alberta, it covers services like psychiatrist visits and hospital visits but it does not non-medically necessary surgeries, vision care, cover routine dental services, and prescription drugs not provided in a hospital.

Moreover, depending on the province you live in, your public plan may not become effective from the first day you arrive in Canada. If you are moving to provinces like British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, and Ontario, you have to wait for 3 months before your coverage becomes effective. However, under health insurance Alberta, your coverage will become effective the first day you move to the province.

Private Health Care in Canada

The obvious gap in the public plan necessitates private health insurance. If you need insurance coverage beyond those provided by the public plan, you should consider getting additional or supplemental health insurance.

Thankfully, several insurance companies in Canada provide private health insurance. The features and services you can get will depend on the insurance provider you choose. For instance, you may be able to access coverage for private and semi-private hospital rooms, vision and dental care, prescription drug coverage, emergency care services, etc.

Furthermore, private health insurance Alberta also offers faster and more agile services. For instance, the waiting period for diagnostic tests is just about 8 days in private health insurance but you have to wait up to 47 days in public health care. Also, you can even access more specialized care in private health insurance than you can get in public healthcare. Visit Insurdinary to find out more.

Other Things To Consider

Before taking out private health insurance in Alberta, you need to seriously consider your needs. What works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. For instance, if you are involved in adventurous sports, you should consider getting insurance that covers that kind of sport or activity. Also, if you have a family history of a certain disease, you may need to consider that condition when getting coverage. Click here to learn more.

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Joined: December 27th, 2019
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