Insurance Policies Offered by Canadian Providers
Insurance Benefits
Families that opt for life insurance enjoy multiple benefits, and one is that they have access to emergency expenses. Insurance also contributes to retirement income and helps pay college expenses.
Insurance Plans
The provinces and territories offer health insurance plans that cover dependents, including underage and overage single children, adult interdependent spouses, divorced and separated spouses, and married spouses. Some treatments and services are excluded from the policy, for example, treatments by naturopaths and acupuncturists, ambulance, and medications. Different providers and services are covered, including telephone consultations, emergency centers, doctors offices, hospitals and walk-in clinics, and pharmacies. Services are offered under different programs that focus on disease and injury prevention, family planning, child care, and nutrition. Providers offer mental health, general, and dental and other services. Different treatments and services are covered, depending on where you live. Some plans offer coverage for bariatric surgeries for morbidly obese patients, including gastric bypass procedures, adjustable gastric banding, gastric partitioning, and others. The list of covered services is quite long and may include the following:
Oral surgery
Maxillofacial surgery
Hospitalization and transportation
Physical therapy
Radiotherapy
Supplies, equipment, and anesthesia,
Biological preparations and medications
Required nursing services
Meals and accommodation
Examinations
Many plans also provide coverage for diagnostic, radiological, and laboratory tests and procedures to help treat and diagnose medical conditions and injuries and prevent illnesses. Aids and implants are also covered, for example, valve implants, joint prosthesis, pins, and pacemakers. There is limited coverage for expensive medications such as drugs for pulmonary hypertension and transplant medications. Partial coverage is often offered for dental care, eye exams, and podiatry services. Eye exams for underage children may be fully covered.
Services under Medicare
Families with children are entitled to healthcare services such as immunizations, laboratory tests, doctor treatments and services, x-rays, hospital care, and different types of medical treatments and surgeries. Some services, aids, and supplies are not covered, including contact lenses and glasses, dental care, prescription medications, and ambulance services. Some provinces have a waiting period of 3 months, and the coverage begins after this period. Provinces such as New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia have set a waiting period.
Child Health Plans
Some provinces offer child health benefit plans that cover health and dental care, ambulance and prescription drugs. Dental care includes extractions and fillings, X-rays, teeth cleaning, and dental exams. Diabetic supplies are also covered, including penlets, lancets, testing strips, injection supplies, and others. Repairs and new glasses are included under child health plans. Coverage is offered for prescription medications and some over-the-counter products. Families with children qualify by income meaning that the maximum qualifying income differs for couples with 1, 2, 3, and 4 children and single parents with 1 - 4 children. Child support is included in the total income. The National Child Benefit program offers support to low income families with children. Families in the low income bracket are offered the National Child Benefit Supplement. This program is a joint initiative offered by the territorial, provincial, and federal governments. Child support services are also offered by the provincial governments in the form of income for handicapped persons, adult health benefits, and income support. Eligibility is based on family income.
Programs and Health Centers
There are programs that specifically focus on kids' health in some provinces. Strategies have been implemented to focus on proper childhood development and nutrition and healthy weight and healthy pregnancy. As part of the Baby-Friendly Initiative started by the WHO, the authorities offer guidance and support to community organizations and hospitals. In some provinces such as Ontario, services are offered by public health units and laboratories, public health insurance offices, nurse practitioner-led clinics, hospitals, and community health centers. Community care access centers have been established to provide community and home services. Community health centers offer services to communities, families, and individual patients. They offer counseling for young mothers, stress and anger management, addictions counseling, and other services. Nurse practitioner-led clinics specialize in illness prevention and management and offer primary care services.
Private Insurance
Health insurance providers offer different types of coverage, including travel, dental, and health insurance. Comprehensive plans offer coverage for hospital accommodation, services offered by registered therapists, and medical services, items, and aids. In addition, customers are offered coverage for home support services, hearing aids, ambulance, dental injuries, and eye care.
Other Types of Insurance
There are other types of coverage such as association life, workplace life, and universal, permanent, and term life insurance.