Yes. Government of Canada guidelines for medical travel are available here for your review. 

The cost depends on the type of surgery, its complexity, and the country/facility you choose.

Other cost considerations include health insurance, travel, any additional accommodation costs, and whether or not you will be travelling with a companion.

We can help you understand the estimated investment for your particular international surgery. 

Regardless of who pays, you should save all receipts and records of your medical travel. 

There are three categories of payment:

Provincial Governments

Every province has some type of medical travel program—mostly for care provided in another province. Patients or their physicians must apply to the program to see if they are eligible.  Coverage may not include flights, accommodation, and other expenses, so please refer to the next section, “What’s Covered and What’s Not?”

Private Insurance

Your private insurer may cover your travel, accommodation, hospital and surgical expenses, prescriptions, medical rehabilitation equipment, and some rehabilitation services. It depends on your insurer and your plan.

Personal Payment

Thousands of Canadians pay out of pocket every year—from their savings, lines of credit, family loans, or other means. Your expenses, including travel, accommodation, and prescriptions, may be tax deductible. Please check with an accountant or financial planner to assess how medical deductions can affect your return.

Coverage differs between provinces. Please refer to the links below for more information.

British Columbia: Medical benefits outside of British Columbia.

Alberta: Coverage outside Canada.

Saskatchewan: Out of province and out of Canada coverage.

Manitoba: Out of province coverage.

Ontario: Out of country OHIP Covered Services.

Quebec: Healthcare received outside of Canada.

New Brunswick: Claims for out of country services.

Prince Edward Island: Eligibility, Financial Support.

Nova Scotia: Terms of coverage.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Medical Transportation Assistance Program, Medical Transportation Benefits for Income Support Clients.

Yukon: Medical travel.

Northwest Territories: Travelling outside NWT.

Nunavut: Medical travel.

We do not recommend hospitals, and do not endorse the quality of any physician, facility, or service.

Our role is to inform patients, their caregivers, or their guardians of the available facilities and costs, and give them a sense of the services available.

We do not make referrals to specific hospitals.

We do, however, help patients understand the capabilities and services offered at world-class facilities in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia.

We look for hospitals with JCI accreditation.

Some have Accreditation Canada standards and additional standards that Canadian facilities do not have.

Learn more about hospital accreditation bodies here.

Yes. Depending on the facility you choose, and your family doctor’s availability, your international surgeon might schedule a consultation prior to your arrival.

When you are ready to travel home, you will be provided with complete surgical documentation, and—depending on the international facility—a post-surgery consultation with your family doctor. 

The vast majority of waitlisted Canadian patients need orthopaedic surgery—procedures for knees, hips, and spines.

We help patients understand their options for international orthopaedic services as well as services for urology, cochlear implants, and other elective surgeries.

Contact us to inquire about procedure availability, cost, and scheduling.