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Best Health Insurance in Canada (2024)
Our insurance experts reveal their list of the best health insurance companies in Canada to help you find the best plan tailored to your needs. Among the recommended providers are Blue Cross, Canada Life, Manulife, and others. We evaluate these companies based on factors such as price, coverage amount, optional add-ons, and more. Explore the pros and cons of each company, review company history, compare coverage, and shop rates before you buy!
- Reviews of Canada’s Best Health Insurance Companies
- Health insurance best for...
- Blue Cross health insurance review
- Canada Life Health Insurance Review
- Desjardins Health Insurance Review
- GMS health insurance review
- Green Shield health insurance review
- Manulife health insurance review
- Sun Life health insurance review
- Get help selecting the best health insurance
A lot of companies claim to have the best health insurance in Canada. But which one has a policy that’s best suited for you?
Our insurance experts share their pick of insurance providers with the best medical insurance coverage in Canada, so you can shop for a plan that suits your specific needs. Our criteria focus on factors like availability of coverage add-ons, coverage options, amount of coverage, and more.
Your health matters! Check out our pros and cons list for the health insurance industry’s finest to help you choose the best individual health insurance or a family plan with confidence.
Need insurance answers now?
Call 1-888-601-9980 to speak to our licensed advisors right away, or book some time with them below.
The best health insurance in Canada in 2024
After reviewing Canada’s top health insurance companies, our team of experts has picked Blue Cross, Canada Life, and Manulife as having the best health coverage in Canada.
But, not every health insurance company is the same. Some have the best dental coverage, while others have top rated coverage for vision care. Check out our list of the best health coverage in Canada.
Best companies for…
- Blue Cross: Best for prescription medication & dental coverage
- Canada Life: Best for vision coverage
- Desjardin: Best for bundling with other products
- GMS: Best for multiple plan options
- Greenshield: Best for paramedical (chiro, physio, massage, etc.) coverage
- Manulife: Best for customization
- Sun Life: Best for travel medical coverage
Blue Cross Ontario Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance for:
Prescription drug coverage & dental care coverage
Blue Cross is a national brand originating in Manitoba in 1938, with many provincial franchises. Franchises include:
- Alberta Blue Cross
- Ontario Blue Cross
- Quebec Blue Cross
- Manitoba Blue Cross (Nunavut)
- Medavie Blue Cross (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador)
- Pacific Blue Cross (BC and Yukon)
- Saskatchewan Blue Cross
Like the sound of “unlimited” benefits? Blue Cross offers unmatched prescription and dental coverage without limits. They also have coverage that allows you to keep your insurability for life. Diagnosed with an illness later in life? No worries with Blue Cross Assured Access coverage—once you have it, you have insurability for life.
| Blue Cross Ontario Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical Expenses Mental Health Services Dental Vision Travel |
Blue Cross Ontario Health Insurance Pros:
- Assured access coverage
- Generational coverage
- Unlimited drugs
- Unlimited dental (excluding major)
- Capped out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs
- Highly customizable
Blue Cross Ontario Insurance Cons:
- No replacement plan
- No travel plans available for basic or mid-tier plans
- Unlimited drug pricing is not as competitive
- Major and orthodontic dental only available for enhanced plans
Who is Blue Cross Ontario?
The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) introduced the Blue Cross name in 1941 in Ontario. Supported by the Ontario government, the Blue Cross plan served as a means to cover healthcare expenses incurred in the province’s hospitals. In March 1995, the OHA sold its Blue Cross assets to Liberty Mutual Insurance. However, the use of the name “Ontario Blue Cross” was not part of the asset sale and remained under the ownership of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans (CABCP), leading to the reopening of offices in Ontario under the Ontario Blue Cross name in the same year.
What other insurance coverage does Blue Cross offer?
Canada Life Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance for:
Vision care coverage
Canada Life, one of the country’s largest life insurers, is a subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. and a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies. With $396 billion in assets and a financial strength rating of A+ from A.M. Best, Canada Life is one of the most stable life insurers in the country.
Canada Life offers health insurance that speaks to the saying “you get what you pay for.” What we mean is, you’ll get good coverage, but it won’t be the cheapest policy on the market.
Canada Life offers great vision insurance coverage for those who need glasses or contacts—they’ll cover up to 100%! While the pricing is a bit on the expensive side, Canada Life makes up for this by providing comprehensive coverage for both prescription drugs and health practitioner services.
| Canada Life Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical expenses Mental health services Dental Vision Travel |
Canada Life Health Insurance Pros:
- 100% vision coverage
- Good prescription drug coverage
- Good paramedical coverage
- Replacement plans
- Guaranteed plans for those with pre-existing conditions
Canada Life Health Insurance Cons:
- Pricing not as competitive
- Replacement plans are expensive
Who is Canada Life?
The Canada Life Assurance Company – founded in 1847 in Hamilton, Ontario – is Canada’s oldest domestic life insurance company as well as one of the largest life insurers today. The company was acquired by Great West Life-Assurance Company in 2003 following a bidding war with Manulife. After years operating under different affiliates such as Great West Life, London Life Insurance Company, and its namesake, the three brands came under the Canada Life insurance brand umbrella as of January 2020.
What other insurance coverage does Canada Life offer?
- Life insurance
- Critical illness insurance
- Disability insurance
- Travel insurance
- Creditor insurance
- Investment products
Desjardins Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance for:
Bundling with other products
Desjardins is one of Canada’s largest financial institutions and is frequently ranked among the world’s 50 safest banks and financiers.
Love a good twofer? Desjardins is known for their great combo deals. Combine life insurance, disability insurance, critical illness insurance, and health insurance and you’ll get a financial security team that will fully protect your financial future—and for a few bucks less than if you bought them all separately.
These plans are best for younger individuals—those in the sunset years need not apply (especially those looking for a retirement replacement health plan).
| Desjardin Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical Expenses Mental Health Services Dental Vision Travel |
Desjardins Health Insurance Pros:
- Can be bundled with other products (life insurance, disability insurance, critical illness insurance) for a discount
- “Best Doctor” program (get a second opinion for you and/or extended family)
Desjardins Health Insurance Cons:
- Limited term options
- Plans only cover to age 64
- No replacement or guaranteed plans
Who is Desjardins?
Desjardins offers a large range of financial and insurance services in Canada. Their major focus areas are life and health insurance and wealth management services for individuals, and property and casualty coverage (home insurance). They also offer business services including point-of-sale payments and cash management. Desjardins Insurance operates through a network of financial advisors concentrated in Quebec and Ontario but has a presence across Canada.
What other insurance coverage does Desjardins offer?
- Home and Auto Insurance
- Pet Insurance
- RV Insurance
- Life and Savings – Life Insurance
- Group Insurance
- Credit Insurance
- Travel Insurance
GMS Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance for:
Multiple plan options
While their name is less known, here’s no denying that GMS offers great coverage for those looking to customize their plan. They also offer great coverage for those with pre-existing conditions—they’ll cover your medication prescribed for that condition, whereas other private plans may not at all. They also have a unique (to Canada) co-pay setup where you pay a set deductible rather than just the remaining percentage of the total cost of the bill.
If you’re someone who likes to plug and play with different package add-ons to meet your needs, GMS health insurance may have a plan for you.
| GMS Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical expenses Mental health services Dental Vision Travel |
GMS Health Insurance Pros:
- Enhanced drug plan includes prescriptions for pre-existing conditions up to $800 a year
- Flat deducible (co-pay) rather than a percentage-based coverage ($6 co-pay vs. “70% of coverage listed”)
- Customizable add-ons
- Replacement plans available
GMS Health Insurance Cons:
- Limited base plan options
Who is GMS?
GMS, which stands for Group Medical Services, is an insurance provider that began in 1940 in Saskatchewan. It started out as the Regina Mutual Medical Benefit Association and in 1949, merged with Regina Medical Services to become GMS. Since their founding, they’ve stayed local, continuing to be based out of Regina and providing health and medical insurance across Canada.
What other insurance coverage does GMS offer?
- Travel Insurance
- Immigrants’ and Visitors’ Insurance
- Group Insurance
Green Shield Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance plan for:
Paramedical coverage (chiro, physio, massage, etc.)
GreenShield (aka SureHealth) has the biggest market share in the health insurance industry—that means they’re the big dogs. They specialize in group health and dental insurance (hence the huge market share), and you may know them if you’ve had an employer health insurance plan.
Greenshield offers multiple plan options so you can customize your health insurance to meet your needs. The biggest bonus is its high coverage limits for services like massage, chiropractic, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, etc.—all those necessary health maintenance services that are important to keep on top of. While not the most competitive in price, Greenshield may have an extended health plan to meet your unique health expense needs.
| GreenShield Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical expenses Mental health services Dental Vision Travel |
GreenShield Health Insurance Pros:
- Multiple plan options
- Guaranteed options
- Travel coverage: $5 million
- Higher limits for paramedical health services
GreenShield Health Insurance Cons:
- Pricing is not as competitive
- Dental insurance is not automatically in basic plans
Who is GreenShield?
GreenShield is a non-profit health insurance company founded in 1957 in Windsor, Ontario. They provide a wide range of insurance products, policies, and benefits across Canada. They also provide administration services to consumers. As they are a non-profit GreenShield reinvests their revenue into community initiatives across the country, combating a variety of issues such as homelessness, food insecurity, disaster relief, and more.
What type of health insurance does GreenShield offer?
- Group health insurance
- Guaranteed acceptance health insurance
Manulife Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance for:
Customization
Life changes and your needs change. That’s why it’s good to have options. Manulife offers many health insurance product lines to meet you where you’re at. Whether you’re a fitness-tracking maniac already, a new retiree looking for replacement coverage for your work policy, or just need to look after your teeth, they’ve got you covered.
Manulife is our top choice for health insurance providers simply because of the variety of products they sell—the price isn’t bad either! With all their options available, we’ll bet you can find a plan that suits your needs best!
| Manulife Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical expenses Mental health services Dental There are also options for DentalPlus and DrugPlus plans if you require more coverage than their combo plans offer. Vision Travel |
Manulife Health Insurance Pros:
- Telehealth (virtual doctor) access
- Vitality program
- FollowMe program has great replacement coverage
- Comprehensive paramedical coverage
- Option to choose dental only
- Combo plans available
- Guaranteed plans available
- Travel coverage: $5 million for first 9 days (additional days extra charge)
Manulife Health Insurance Cons:
- Hospital benefits not included
- Travel insurance has $100 deductible
- Can be expensive due to the comprehensive coverage
Who is Manulife?
Manulife Canada is a subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation, a Canada-based multinational insurance company and financial services provider. Manulife has an extensive presence in Southeast Asia and also in the United States, where they operate through their John Hancock insurance provider. They were incorporated in 1887 as the Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are the second-largest insurance company in Canada.
What other insurance coverage does Manulife offer?
Sun Life Financial Health Insurance Review
Canada’s best health insurance for:
Travel medical coverage
We love a good deal—don’t you? Sun Life provides a superior health insurance product at a very competitive price. If you’re a globetrotter, they even have travel insurance coverage for up to 60 days built into their standard and enhanced plans.
If your needs are more than basic, Sun Life might have the best plan for you. More of a Plain Jane or have most of your coverage needs met elsewhere? The bare-bones Sun Life basic plan might be for you!
| Sun Life Health Insurance Plan Details
Prescription medication Paramedical expenses Mental health services Dental Vision Travel |
Sun Life Health Insurance Pros:
- Competitive price
- Extensive prescription coverage
- Travel coverage for up to 60 days (standard and enhanced)
Sun Life Health Insurance Cons:
- Limited coverage for counseling services
- No travel insurance for basic plans (no option for add-ons)
- No vision insurance for basic plans (no options for add-ons)
Who is Sun Life?
Sun Life Financial, Inc. is one of the largest life insurance providers in the world, and also one of the oldest, with a history spanning back to 1865. Apart from Canada, they have a presence in the US and in seven Asian markets, including China and India. The Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada offers a wide variety of products across life, health, and other individual insurance such as travel, mortgage, and business owner insurance. They also offer savings and retirement income plans and investment products.
What other insurance coverage does Sun Life offer?
Get a quote for health insurance
If you’re looking for a great price on personal health and dental insurance, PolicyAdvisor can help! We have a team of licensed insurance experts to help you go through health plans from Canada’s best insurance providers. Book a quick call with one of our advisors today and we can determine your health insurance needs.
