Where Can I Get Affordable Health Insurance in Canada?
By Krista DeKuyper | July 14, 2021 |
Just because Canadians enjoy provincial health coverage doesn’t mean they should rule out applying for private health insurance. Make sure that your health (and your family’s health) are a priority and get ensured. So the question then becomes where can I get affordable health insurance in Canada? We first need to talk about what affects your insurance premium
Attributes that Determine Costs
You might be wondering what affect affects your health insurance premium. These are characteristics that affect your insurance premium.
Age
Age is one of the factors that can have a big affect on your premiums. Premiums can be up to 3 times higher for older people than for younger ones. This is because the older you get the higher your likelihood of becoming ill or needing medical care
Individual vs Family
Insurance companies can charge more for a plan that also covers a spouse and/or dependents. There will be more people to cover meaning a higher risk for the insurance company.
Pre-existing conditions
If you have a pre-existing condition you will most likely see a higher premium. The reason insurance companies need to know about your pre-existing condition is so they can determine what the risk is to insure you. When you have a condition that requires a lot of treatment, it costs more for the company to keep you covered
Location
Where you live in Canada also has a big effect on your premiums. Some products have geography-based pricing. For example, if you live in a big city such as Toronto or Vancouver you could be paying a higher premium in comparison to those living in rural areas. Furthermore, differences in competition, provinces, local laws and regulations and costs of living could account for the difference in prices.
Gender
Gender is another impactful factor. Similar to how car insurance is generally higher for young males. Men are more likely to see higher insurance premiums. This could be due to the fact that men are more likely to have labour intensive jobs and therefore more likely to have accidents or fall sick. Drinking and smoking are other factors that could expose men to higher chances of falling ill or needing medical attention.
Type of Plan
One of the major factors in the premium you pay is the type of plan you want to go with. If you’re looking for a plan with a lower deductible then expect to pay more for your premium. Similarly if you want enhanced Dental and Prescription coverage than you can also expect to be paying a higher premium.
How Do I Save Money on Health Insurance?
Health insurance isn’t cheap but there are ways to make it more affordable. Here are 3 ways to help lower your rate.
Take care of yourself
Mentioned previously many insurance companies will take your health status into consideration when setting your rate. If you have a pre-existing condition you may get a higher premium. Similar to car insurance where the better you drive and the lower amount of accidents and tickets you have the lower your insurance premium, do your best to stay healthy. Improve your health and your rate will likely improve as well.
Check your existing coverage
More often than not you already have some from of health insurance whether that be from the provincial government or from an employer. Determine what you already have covered and what you need covered before you shop for health insurance. THe more services you want covered the higher your insurance premium.
So Where Can I Get Affordable Health Insurance in Canada?
Different insurance companies will offer different plans at competitive rates, so don’t settle for the first price you see. HealthQuotes makes it easy for you by comparing multiple quotes at the same time for you. So make sure to take advantage of our instant quoting tool.
If you’re looking for more advice on health insurance plans and what to speak to an expert don’t hesitate to reach out to our expert Canadian brokerages!
