HEALTH & DENTAL BENEFITS

Benefits 

Think of health insurance as something that’s there to help protect your health and your budget. It covers expenses you incur from regular health care, regular dental care, illness and accidents that are not covered by your provincial or territorial health insurance.

Your particular needs and circumstances, as well as your budget, will help determine the type and amount of coverage that’s right for you. You can find flexible options that allow you to completely tailor health insurance that meets your needs. They are easy to buy and easy to manage, and best of all easy to understand.

A primer on health and dental policies and eligibility

There are two main types of supplemental health insurance policies you can choose from. They help you pay for expenses that regular insurance doesn’t cover or share the cost with other insurance plans you might have. If you’re a gig worker, freelancer or self-employed – as approximately one in three Canadians are nowadays – you might be in particular need of supplemental insurance. Depending on the type of coverage you apply for, you may need to answer a medical questionnaire when you apply. 

If your situation is that you were previously covered by a work policy but lost your benefits because you left your job, lost your job or are retiring, then you may qualify for a policy that essentially continues your coverage (although not necessarily with identical benefits). With this type of policy, you’re guaranteed to get coverage and there are no medical questions at the time of application. You will want to apply for coverage and pay your first premium within a certain time frame after losing your work benefits. 

What’s covered under health and dental plans

Many expenses – some of which could add up to many hundreds of dollars a year – can be covered under health and dental insurance. These include such things as:

• prescription drugs
• dental care, including regular checkups, cleanings and some procedures
• vision care, including optometrist visits as well as prescription lenses, frames, contact lenses and laser eye surgery
• extended health care, including registered specialists and therapists (such as massage therapists, chiropractors, physiotherapists and psychologists), orthotics, hearing aids, homecare and medical equipment
• emergency travel health care, which helps cover the costs of emergency medical care for a predetermined number of days when travelling outside your home province or territory

You plan today, we secure tomorrow.