Why All Canadians Deserve Equal Access To Healthcare

20 Feb 2021

Canada arguably has one of the best healthcare systems in the world, but it does have its flaws.

Canada's healthcare system is called Medicare. As Canadians, we have Provincial and Territorial health care insurance rather than a national health plan. This system provides all Canadian residents access to necessary physician and hospital services without having to pay out of pocket.

Medicare's main purpose is to provide Canadian's with vital medical care, but in most cases, dental and vision care are not included. Prescription drug coverage is usually not included, as well. The Canada Health Act (CHA) does not specify what is considered medically necessary. Each Province and Territory determines the details with the healthcare providers in that region.

Most of the money that supports Canada's healthcare systems comes from taxes through the federal government.

Mother and daughter speaking to a doctor at the doctor's office.

What happens when you need other medical treatment that isn't covered by Medicare?

The majority of Canadians receive dental and vision coverage through their employer. The types of coverage you can receive, and the extra healthcare services you can benefit from are determined by your employer.

Here are some numbers to put it into perspective:

According to the Canadian Health Measures Survey, they found that 62% of Canadians had private insurance, and 6% had coverage with publicly funded programs. This left almost a third of Canadians without any dental insurance.

Unfortunately, people are forced to determine whether it is worth it to pay for their oral health. Does it make sense for a person to take unpaid time off work to visit the dentist and get their teeth cleaned, knowing that the cleaning will cost more than what they make in a day? Or should a mother have to avoid getting her cavity filled, to pay for her daughter's root canal?

The average cost of routine cleaning is approximately $400. Leaving some Canadians forced to face the outrageous decision to either save enough money to visit a dentist or get a tooth pulled.

Another hot topic is medicine and drug plan coverage. OHIP+ provides anyone under the age of 25 with drug products that are not covered privately. Ontario Drug Benefit also covers you if you have OHIP coverage and are over the age of 65.

A major reason why people are not insured or covered by OHIP is because of their immigration status. OHIP coverage is available only three months after someone becomes a resident in Ontario. During that time, they are uninsured, and if any health issues arise, it can be a costly visit to the doctor's or dentist's office.

Accerta Provides Healthcare Solutions to Support All Canadians

A group of medical professionals discussing Canadian access to healthcare.

Thankfully, we are a social enterprise enabling healthcare equality for all. We manage dental, vision, drug, and healthcare benefit programs exclusively for government and social services agencies in Canada.

We believe every child and youth deserves to take on the world with confidence, proper oral hygiene, and excellent health. Through the Healthy Smiles initiative, Accerta has, to date, helped over 450,000 low-income children and youth receive proper dental care. Accerta also partners with Covenant House to provide youth with independence and access to free healthcare.

Our goal is to provide healthcare services where no patient is left untreated while improving Canada's access to healthcare. Our main goal is for every patient to be treated with dignity.