Access To Healthcare In Canada: Challenges, Quirks, and Other Things Newcomers Need To Know

So, while there are a host of free medical services available, Canada actually ranks quite low amongst high-income countries in terms of access to healthcare services. In 2023, it was ranked below countries like New Zealand, Australia, Germany and Sweden, in terms of the proportion of adults who had a primary doctor. In fact, Canada even ranks below the United States and United Kingdom – both of which are often shown in the media as having problematic medical systems. 

Key Takeaways

• Canada has lower access to healthcare than its peers, and newcomers to Canada face more barriers to entry. This is a real problem. 
• There are steps you can take to improve your access to healthcare, including signing up for a primary care provider as early as possible and finding health insurance that includes virtual care. 

Challenges Accessing Healthcare in Canada

First, let’s dig into one challenge newcomers in particular face accessing healthcare in Canada: 

Inequities in Quality Healthcare

To clarify, Canada’s healthcare system is safe, high-quality, and composed of highly-trained medical professionals. But newcomers to Canada can face barriers as a result of language, cultural differences, and geographic/transportation barriers. As a result, newcomers to Canada use Canada’s free healthcare system less than the Canadian-born population or established immigrants. 

Bearing in mind that Canada has lower access to care than its peers, and newcomers to Canada face more barriers to entry, this is a real problem. 

There are also a range of healthcare access challenges that affect newcomers and long-term Canadian residents alike: 

Difficulties Finding A Family Doctor

There can be long wait lists to find a primary care doctor in Canada, with some people facing a wait of years to be placed with a family doctor. 

Understanding What’s Covered 

Canada’s healthcare system is quite confusing. Healthcare is managed at the provincial level, so this means that there can be (and are) significant differences in coverage between provinces. In some provinces, birth control is free – in others, there are out-of-pocket costs. Home services, mental health care, prescriptions, vision and dental, fertility treatments, and ambulance coverage are some of the medical services that have vast differences between provinces and territories in Canada. 

Related: Understanding gaps in Canada’s healthcare system

Limited Same- or Next-Day Appointments

Fewer Canadian residents report being able to get a same- or next-day appointment with a doctor or nurse than in similar high-wealth countries. It’s the same story with access to care in evenings or on weekends or holidays. This poses challenges for newcomers and for those who have been in Canada for longer (or since birth), since getting care when you need it for short-term illnesses or acute needs is difficult. 

Low Uptake of Digital Tools

Canada’s medical professionals are lagging behind their peers in terms of using digital tools to improve healthcare and communication. This causes additional delays when it comes to receiving or sharing health information, and can make access more difficult for those who can’t drive or who live further away from their primary care provider. 

What Can You Do To Get Or Improve Your Access To Canada’s Healthcare System?

These are some steps you can take to improve your access to healthcare in Canada:

Make sure you sign up for a family doctor immediately when you arrive. We know wait lists can be long, so it’s helpful to sign up as early as possible so you can start making your wait down the wait list. 

Locate your closest urgent care provider. Urgent care is available for those who don’t have access to a primary care doctor, or who can’t get a same- or next-day appointment. Be warned, though: wait times can be lengthy at urgent care centres.  

Find an employer who provides employer-access virtual care. Employer-access virtual care is an optional employer benefit that allows employees to access virtual care for free. Approximately 10 million people in Canada have employer-access to virtual care. 

Buying health insurance with virtual care. Health insurance is available to individuals and through employers in Canada. So, you can buy your own access to virtual healthcare through health insurance if your employer does not provide it. 

Research access to culturally appropriate health providers or medical professionals who speak your language. 

If you’re interested in private health coverage with virtual care and 24/7 access to multilingual service centers, we recommend our partner Cigna Global. Cigna Global offers premium international health insurance for individuals and families. Every plan ​​includes priority access to support from Cigna doctors and nurses. 

Get your free quote