What is the cost of health care in Canada? Is it the same across the provinces? If not how does it differ?

Question

What is the cost of health care in Canada? Is it the same across the provinces? If not how does it differ?

Answer 1

Three of the ten provinces charge a monthly premium (I'm not sure about the territories).  In BC depending on family size it's about $50.00 per month.  Alberta and Ontario also charge a monthly premium (not sure how much but it would be a similar amount).  These premiums don't come close to covering the provincial health care expenses, tax dollars make up the difference.  The remaining provinces do not charge a monthy premium, but rather pay healthcare expenses from taxes collected for general revenue.  The Canada Health Act is a national act of parliament that is administered by individual provinces.  As such there are some differences, minor in nature, in coverage from one province to the next.  The individual, whether he pays a premium or not, incures no additional cost for seeing the family dr., a specialist, or if he requires hospitalization for an illness or some type of medically necessary surgery.  Health care is not necessarily all inclusive with some procedures not covered, again that may vary from one province to the next.  As an example a newborn boy, whom the parents want to have circumcised will, at least in British Columbia, have to pay the surgeon for that procedure.  Other procedures such as cosmetic surgery would not be covered unless there was a medically necessary requirement.  IE, breast implants, a facelift or a tummy tuck would not be covered by health care.  A victim of a burn accident would however have cosmetic procedures covered by health care.  A woman who had lost a breast due to breast cancer or some other calamity would have any reconstruction procedures covered by healt care.  Costs for procedures in Canada are apparently roughly comperable with costs in the USA.

Answer 2

it's free

Answer 3

Well the cost to the average person is pretty much nothing.  All of our health care is covered by each provincial government and is mostly supported by taxes.  When I go to the doctor or hospital I don't have to pay for anything.  

We have to pay for dental in most provinces (if over 18), perscription drugs, and things like plastic surgery (if its just for fun and not because of an actual illness/accident).  But most employed people have benefit plans that cover the cost of dental and medication.

It does differ slightly between provinces.  For example, in Alberta they also have a private system where people who are rich enough to afford private healthcare can pay for treatments that they might have to wait for in the public system.