
Surprising health care costs that come out of your pocket
July 1, 2016
Why travellers prefer Blue Cross
July 1, 2016
Most people who live outside Canada assume that all medical costs for Canadians are paid for by government health care plans. While Canadians do have medical insurance through their provincial governments, as residents, we know that there are health care costs that we must pay for out of pocket. Doctor's visits, emergency hospital care and other basic health care services are covered, but there are some surprising medical costs that are not.
Through OHIP, we have access to a range of health care services, and many of these services are either fully or partially covered.
There are a number of services that are not covered by OHIP:
However, there is a grey area of medical treatments that many people are not sure about in terms of how far their government coverage goes. "OHIP provides funding for medically necessary physician services, certain dental services that are required to be performed in a hospital, and certain practitioner services that are therapeutically necessary,” says David Jensen, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, in the Canadian Newcomer Magazine.
For many people, whether a specific procedure or medication is covered influences their decision to go ahead with the treatment. Many Canadians simply cannot afford to pay for high-cost medical treatments or prescription drugs out of pocket. It’s important to be aware of the health care costs that you may be required to pay.
Here are some of the medical costs that Ontario residents have to pay for, and some may be surprising:
To help offset medical costs not covered by OHIP, your first step is to see whether you qualify for other government health care programs or if you have coverage through your work benefits. Another option is to buy private health insurance to help cover the costs.
Rather than paying out of pocket when medical costs arise, having health insurance provides you with peace of mind in knowing you have coverage. Taking this proactive approach to health care ensures you have access to health care at all times.