Private cover on top of provincial health care

What the public plan pays

Ontario's plan covers doctors' visits, specialist care, hospital stays, surgery, diagnostic imaging and most laboratory work, with no bill at the point of care.

What it does not pay

Routine dental care, orthodontics, eye examinations for most adults, glasses and contact lenses, prescription drugs taken at home, physiotherapy, psychology and counselling, chiropractic, massage and ambulance charges are all out of pocket without private cover.

Where children need it most

Dental cleanings, fillings and orthodontic assessment are the largest predictable costs for the five younger members of the household, and are the reason a dental-strong plan usually beats the cheapest option.

This writes the figure into the health and dental line on the household and personal costs page, so the monthly total stays accurate. Currently budgeted there: $0.

Three tiers, each pairing drugs, dental, vision and paramedical care. The entry tier is issued without medical questions if applied for within 90 days of leaving a group plan, which suits a family arriving without employer cover.

Strongest at

Widest prescription drug cover

Indicative premium

$70 – $190 per adult, $35 – $70 per child

Tiered plans with preventive dental at 80–100% and rising annual maximums on the higher tiers. Good where several family members need orthodontic or major dental work in the first years.

Strongest at

Strongest dental limits

Indicative premium

$75 – $200 per adult, $35 – $75 per child

Modest but genuinely useful cover for drugs, dental and paramedical care at the cheapest monthly price in the province, with premiums that rise slowly with age.

Strongest at

Lowest entry cost in Ontario

Indicative premium

$25 – $110 per adult, $20 – $50 per child

Enhanced tiers cover preventive dental in full and a large share of major dental, alongside drugs and paramedical services. Usually the strongest single-plan bundle for a large family.

Strongest at

Best bundled health and major dental

Indicative premium

$80 – $210 per adult, $40 – $80 per child

A simple, low-cost plan aimed at people with no employer cover. Useful as a floor for the household while higher cover is arranged for whoever needs it most.

Strongest at

Cheapest starting tier

Indicative premium

$25 – $95 per adult, $20 – $45 per child

Modular plans where drug, dental, vision and paramedical blocks are chosen separately, so cover can be shaped person by person rather than bought as one package.

Strongest at

Build your own combination

Indicative premium

$40 – $180 per adult, $25 – $70 per child

• Ask for the annual dental maximum per person, not just the reimbursement percentage — the maximum is what runs out.
• Check whether the plan is issued without medical questions, and whether that offer expires a set number of days after arrival.
• Confirm how pre-existing conditions are treated, in writing, before paying a first premium.
• Compare the drug cover against the family's actual repeat prescriptions rather than the headline limit.
• Ask whether orthodontics is covered at all, and after how many months of continuous membership.
• Check that paramedical care includes psychology or counselling, which is often capped very low.
• Buy interim medical cover for the waiting period before flying, not after landing.
• Confirm no school or future employer plan already covers part of the household before buying twice.

1. 1Get quotes from three providers for the exact household make-up, with and without enhanced dental.
2. 2Buy interim visitor or newcomer medical cover for the public-plan waiting period.
3. 3Register everyone for the provincial health card in the first week after landing.
4. 4Decide the plan before the first dental appointment, since claims cannot be backdated.
5. 5Put the chosen monthly premium into the household budget so the monthly total stays accurate.