Reviewed June 16, 2026 · Health and dental plans for Canadians outside Quebec.
The individual insurance market can look like an alphabet soup of plan names — but underneath, almost every plan is built from the same handful of building blocks. Learn the blocks and you can read any plan. Here is the plain-language map.
Is this you?
- You are shopping for coverage for the first time and the plan names all blur together.
- You know you want "health and dental" but are not sure what that actually includes.
- You already have one piece covered — say, dental through a spouse — and want only the rest.
- You want to match a plan to what you actually pay for, instead of guessing.
If any of those fit, this is for you.
First, the two ways plans are categorized
Every individual health and dental plan can be described two ways at once. It helps to keep them separate in your head:
- By how you qualify. A medically underwritten plan asks health questions and can decline or exclude; a guaranteed-acceptance plan asks no questions and takes everyone. Same coverage menu, different door in.
- By what it covers. This is the set of building blocks below.
You are always choosing both: a door in, and a set of blocks.
The building blocks of coverage
1. Core (base) health. The foundation of most plans. It typically covers things provincial health leaves out around the edges: ground ambulance, a private or semi-private hospital room, medical equipment and supplies, and sometimes accidental dental or emergency care. On its own it is the least expensive tier — and often the cheapest way into the market.
2. Prescription drugs. Frequently the single most important block, and often a tier you add rather than an automatic inclusion. Annual drug maximums vary enormously between plans — from modest caps to tens of thousands of dollars. Because drugs are one of the biggest gaps in provincial coverage, this is where many people focus first.
3. Dental. Usually split into levels: basic (checkups, cleanings, fillings) and major (crowns, bridges, dentures), with orthodontics sometimes available on richer plans. Base tiers often include basic dental; major work usually costs more. If a crown or denture is on your horizon, look past the base tier.
4. Vision. Eye exams, and an allowance toward glasses or contact lenses over a set period. It is rarely the reason someone buys a plan, but it is a common add-on that provincial health does not fund for most adults.
5. Paramedical. Licensed practitioners outside the doctor-and-hospital system: physiotherapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, psychology and counselling, naturopathy, and more. Plans set per-practitioner or combined maximums, so if a specific therapy matters to you, the limits are what to compare.
How the blocks get packaged
Carriers combine these blocks into named plans at different price points. In practice you will see:
- Health-and-dental bundles — the most common package, covering a mix of the blocks above.
- Health-only plans — everything but dental, useful if your dental is covered elsewhere (or through a government program you qualify for).
- Dental-only plans — just the teeth, useful if your health side is handled.
- Tiered families — a "good / better / best" ladder where each step up raises maximums and adds blocks.
The names differ by carrier, but once you can spot the blocks inside a plan, the marketing labels stop mattering.
The optional add-on people ask about: travel
Many individual plans offer an optional emergency travel medical add-on — coverage for a medical emergency while you are outside your home province or the country, usually tied to a maximum trip length. Two things to keep straight: it is emergency medical only (not trip cancellation, interruption, or baggage), and it is an add-on to a health plan, not a standalone travel policy. For occasional travellers it can be a convenient, inexpensive extra.
How to choose without overthinking it
- List your real costs. Write down what you pay out of pocket now — prescriptions, dental visits, physio, glasses — and roughly how often.
- Match blocks to that list. Pick the plan whose included blocks and maximums line up with what you actually use, not the one with the longest feature list.
- Decide your door in. If you can answer health questions comfortably, underwriting usually gives more for less; if not, guaranteed acceptance keeps you covered.
- Add travel only if you travel. And remember it is emergency medical only.
Once you see the building blocks, comparing plans stops being a guessing game. To line up plans for your age and province — with prices visible before you share any contact information — compare plans side by side. It takes about two minutes.
Get Health Coverage is an independent comparison platform. We don't sell insurance and take no commission — plans are ranked by price. Coverage blocks, maximums, and rates are set by each carrier and confirmed at application. Coverage is available in every province and territory except Quebec.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main types of individual health and dental insurance in Canada?
Most individual plans are built from the same building blocks: core (base) health coverage like ambulance, hospital, and medical supplies; prescription drug coverage; dental; vision; and paramedical practitioners such as physiotherapy, massage, and mental-health care. Plans differ mainly in which blocks they include and at what maximums. Separately, plans are also categorized by how you qualify — medically underwritten (health questions) or guaranteed acceptance (no questions).
What is the difference between a health plan and a dental plan?
Health coverage handles things like prescription drugs, paramedical practitioners, vision, ambulance, and hospital, while dental covers cleanings, fillings, and sometimes major work like crowns or dentures. Many plans bundle both as a health-and-dental package, but you can often choose health-only or dental-only if you already have one side covered — for example, health-only if your dental is handled elsewhere.
What is paramedical coverage?
Paramedical benefits cover licensed practitioners outside the doctor-and-hospital system — commonly physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, psychologists and counsellors, naturopaths, and similar. Plans usually set a per-practitioner or combined annual maximum, so if a specific therapy matters to you, compare those limits closely.
Do individual plans cover prescription drugs?
Many do, but drug coverage is often a tier you choose rather than an automatic inclusion, and annual maximums vary widely between plans. Because prescriptions are one of the biggest ongoing gaps in provincial coverage, deciding how much drug coverage you need is one of the most important choices when picking a plan.
How do I know which type of plan I need?
Start from your actual gaps: list what you pay out of pocket now — drugs, dental visits, physio, glasses — and roughly how often. Then match a plan's building blocks and maximums to that list, rather than buying on price alone. Comparing plans side by side for your age and province makes the trade-offs visible in a couple of minutes.