Genesis Health Systems

Is there private health care clinics in Canada?

Are there private health care clinics in Canada. I heard that it's public only. But then I thought that there are millionaires/billionaires in Canada,who don't want to wait two hours in public clinics just to see a doctor. I'm not talking about some major operations,for that I suppose they go to US. But when they have a flu,or a cold,do they go to public clinics?

Public Comments

1. It depends on the province. For the most part private clinics are prohibited, but there are some that exist in the province of Quebec. This is pretty well the only place where you can find them at this time.
2. Most health clinics are private. However, the system is publically funded. It is impossible to just pay more and go somewhere else. That is illegal here. The whole idea of universality is that everyone is in the same boat - from the paupers to the billionaires. So, a sick person will go to the clinic where there doctor works. They may see thier own, although many places have multiple doctors, and you will be seen by whoever the clinic duty doctor is. You can call for an appointment as well. The timing really varies - where I am now, there would likely be little or no wait at all. When I was in Ottawa. the wait could be 45 minutes or so. Some will leave the country for MRI's, of which there are not really enough here. But, not so often for operations, especially big ones. That insurance system really pays off then. Some rich people may leave for smaller operations, if they think they can be done faster elsewhere. But, most do it here, as the quality of Canadian healthcare is very, very high.
3. There's very little private care clinics in Canada, it's very restricted. People who can afford it go to U.S. hospitals for treatment. People anywhere whether it's Canada, US, UK, etc usually just go to their family doctor about a flu or cold.
4. we have our own family doctor for that
5. Public Health Care doesn't mean that you can only go to a drop-in type of clinic and wait until it's your turn to see whatever doctor is on call. We do have those kinds of clinics (in almost every area) but they are usually used when it's outside of most doctor's regular office hours or by people who don't have a regular doctor in that area. The drop-in clinics help keep the hospital emergency rooms from being overcrowded. Like many countries, Canada has a shortage of doctors, especially in rural areas. However, Canadians are able to choose their own doctor, switch doctors, or get a second opinion - and are still covered by our universal health care plan. Everyone pays a monthly rate for this health care - it isn't free - but people with low incomes are subsidized by the government. Most doctors are in private practice but ALL are paid for their work by our health care plan. So whether a patient sees their family doctor, a specialist, has surgery, or has to stay in a hospital for 3 weeks - ALL is paid for by our health care system. Calling it "Universal Health Care" just means that the same level or standard of health care is available to all. So being wealthy or poor does not affect whether or not you receive adequate medical care. Personally, I don't know many Canadians who would travel to the US for medical procedures that are covered by our health care system. I do know of some people who have had surgeries done in the US because it was considered elective surgery (mostly cosmetic surgeries) and then it may be cheaper than having it done in Canada.