Canada

Canada’s healthcare system is built around a national insurance framework that provides broad access to medically necessary care. Public insurance plays the central role, while private providers support additional choice and specialist access.

Canada operates a GP gatekeeper model, meaning access to most medical specialists requires a referral from a family physician. While this supports coordinated care, it can extend waiting times for non-urgent specialist consultations due to the shortage of family physicians. Public healthcare covers medically necessary hospital and physician services, but outpatient prescription medicines, dental care, vision care, physiotherapy, and semi-private or private hospital rooms are generally not fully covered.

Expatriates and international residents commonly use private healthcare and international medical insurance for broader provider access, shorter waiting times, and access to premium facilities.