Government Health Insurance Plans in Canada: Understanding GHIP and How to Connect

Introduction

Canada's healthcare system is renowned worldwide for its universal coverage and accessibility. At the heart of this system are the Government Health Insurance Plans (GHIPs), which ensure that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents have access to essential medical services without direct charges at the point of care. This article aims to explain what GHIPs are, their importance, and provide a comprehensive directory of contact information for each provincial and territorial plan.

What is GHIP?

A Government Health Insurance Plan (GHIP) is a publicly funded health care system that provides coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services. Each of Canada's ten provinces and three territories administers its own health insurance plan, following the national principles set out in the Canada Health Act of 1984.

Key Principles of GHIP

The Canada Health Act establishes five fundamental principles that all provincial and territorial health care insurance plans must adhere to:

1. Universality: All insured residents are entitled to the same level of health care.
2. Comprehensiveness: All necessary health services must be covered.
3. Accessibility: All insured persons should have reasonable access to health care facilities.
4. Portability: Coverage is maintained when moving or traveling within Canada.
5. Public Administration: The health care insurance plan must be administered on a non-profit basis by a public authority.

Importance of GHIP in Canadian Health Care

GHIPs are the cornerstone of Canada's health care system. They ensure that essential medical services are accessible to all residents based on need rather than ability to pay. This system reflects Canada's commitment to providing universal health care coverage to its population, contributing to better overall public health outcomes and social equity.

Coverage and Funding

GHIPs typically cover a wide range of services, including:

• Hospital care
• Physician services
• Some dental surgeries
• Some optometry services

The extent of coverage can vary between provinces and territories. These plans are funded through taxes collected by federal and provincial/territorial governments, with the federal government providing additional support through the Canada Health Transfer.

Supplementary Coverage

While GHIPs provide comprehensive coverage for basic health care services, many Canadians also have private health insurance plans to cover services not included under GHIP, such as prescription drugs, routine dental care, vision care, and extended health services.

Eligibility and Portability

All Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for coverage under their respective provincial or territorial health insurance plan. Newcomers to Canada typically have a waiting period of up to three months before becoming eligible.

The portability feature of GHIPs ensures that Canadians moving between provinces or territories remain covered under their home province's plan until they become eligible for coverage in their new location, ensuring continuous health care coverage across the country.

GHIP Directory: How to Connect

Below is a comprehensive directory of contact information for each provincial and territorial Government Health Insurance Plan in Canada.

Note: Aeva strives to ensure the contact information presented here is accurate and up to date, however contact information can change. Please always refer to the official GHIP website's for the latest and most up-to-date contact information. If you find inaccuracies, please Contact Us to let us know.

Alberta

• Program Name: Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
• Website: https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip.aspx
• Phone: 780-427-1432 (Edmonton), 310-0000 (toll-free within Alberta), 1-877-469-5437 (toll-free outside Alberta)
• Mailing Address: Alberta Health, PO Box 1360, Station Main, Edmonton, AB T5J 2N3

British Columbia

• Program Name: Medical Services Plan (MSP)
• Website: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp
• Phone: 604-683-7151 (Vancouver), 1-800-663-7100 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Health Insurance BC, PO Box 9035 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9E3

Manitoba

• Program Name: Manitoba Health
• Website: https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/mhsip/
• Phone: 204-786-7101 (Winnipeg), 1-800-392-1207 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Manitoba Health, 300 Carlton Street, Winnipeg, MB R3B 3M9

New Brunswick

• Program Name: New Brunswick Medicare
• Website: https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/health/medicare.html
• Phone: 506-453-8275 (Fredericton), 1-888-762-8600 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Medicare, PO Box 5100, Fredericton, NB E3B 5G8

Newfoundland and Labrador

• Program Name: Medical Care Plan (MCP)
• Website: https://www.gov.nl.ca/hcs/mcp/
• Phone: 709-729-4984 (St. John's), 1-866-449-4459 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Medical Care Plan (MCP), 45 Major's Path, P.O. Box 8700, St. John's, NL A1B 4J6

Northwest Territories

• Program Name: NWT Health Care Plan
• Website: https://www.hss.gov.nt.ca/en/services/nwt-health-care-plan
• Phone: 867-777-7400 (Inuvik), 1-800-661-0830 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Health Services Administration Office, Department of Health and Social Services, Bag #9, Inuvik, NT X0E 0T0

Nova Scotia

• Program Name: Medical Services Insurance (MSI)
• Website: https://novascotia.ca/dhw/msi/
• Phone: 902-496-7008 (Halifax), 1-800-563-8880 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Nova Scotia Health Authority - MSI, PO Box 500, Halifax, NS B3J 2S1

Nunavut

• Program Name: Nunavut Health Care Plan
• Website: https://gov.nu.ca/health/information/health-care-card
• Phone: 867-645-8001 (Rankin Inlet)
• Mailing Address: Department of Health, Government of Nunavut, Box 889, Rankin Inlet, NU X0C 0G0

Ontario

• Program Name: Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)
• Website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card
• Phone: 416-314-5518 (Toronto), 1-866-532-3161 (general inquiries), 1-800-268-1154 (OHIP-specific toll-free)
• Mailing Address: ServiceOntario, PO Box 48, Kingston, ON K7L 5J3

Prince Edward Island

• Program Name: PEI Medicare
• Website: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/health-pei/health-card
• Phone: 902-838-0900 (Montague), 1-800-321-5492 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Medicare Services, PO Box 3000, Montague, PE C0A 1R0

Quebec

• Program Name: Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)
• Website: https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en
• Phone: 514-864-3411 (Montreal), 418-646-4636 (Quebec City), 1-800-561-9749 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec, Case postale 6600, Québec (Québec) G1K 7T3

Saskatchewan

• Program Name: Saskatchewan Health Care
• Website: https://www.ehealthsask.ca/residents/health-cards
• Phone: 306-787-3251 (Regina), 1-800-667-7551 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: eHealth Saskatchewan, 2130 11th Avenue, Regina, SK S4P 0J5

Yukon

• Program Name: Yukon Health Care Insurance Plan
• Website: https://yukon.ca/en/health-and-wellness/care-services/apply-yukon-health-care-insurance-plan
• Phone: 867-667-5209, 1-800-661-0408 ext. 5209 (toll-free)
• Mailing Address: Health Care Insurance Plan, Box 2703, Whitehorse, YT Y1A 2C6

Conclusion

Government Health Insurance Plans are fundamental to Canada's healthcare system, ensuring universal access to essential medical services. While the administration of these plans varies by province and territory, they all adhere to the core principles set out in the Canada Health Act. By providing this comprehensive overview and directory, we hope to have made it easier for Canadians to understand and access their respective GHIPs.

Next steps

Aeva was designed to help make the process of selecting a supplementary health care plan as easy as possible.

Prefer a human touch? You can also always chat/email/or speak with an Aeva advisor who will be happy to assist you with selecting a plan that's right for you and your family.

Give us a try at https://aeva.ca

Thanks for reading!