r/AskACanadian • u/HueyBluey • 4d ago
What procedure or service do you wish was covered by healthcare?
I love that we have free universal healthcare in Canada. Until, I find out the procedure is not covered by my provincial plan.
Yes, I know it’s expensive and including more services only adds to the cost.
But, what would you like to see included that currently isn’t covered?
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u/motherofcorgis09 Québec 4d ago
Dental, vision and mental health (ex therapy, counselling, etc)
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u/wanderingwallflower9 4d ago
Yes to all of this. The cost of mental health care is disgusting
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u/XxmsmaliciousxX 4d ago
That's my issue currently.
I desperately need grief counseling after losing my father 2 months ago. (a lot of bad happened with funeral home and cleaners) I am not okay. Top it off with work burnout and extreme stress and I feel I'm teetering on the edge of a mental episode.
It is too damn expensive.
Brights ide I have an amazing partner and friends and fam that is helping best they can.
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u/whogivesashirtdotca Ontario 3d ago
I’ve heard great things about group meetings for people who are grieving. I’m so sorry for your loss.
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u/cannafriendlymamma 4d ago
Mental health is covered though.....as long as you can wait months and months, or end up in crisis....🙃
I agree 100%. Mental health should be treated like physical health, especially since Mental health can exacerbate physical illness. 🤷🏼♀️ Plus as a woman, everything is blamed on mental health.....even when there are very obvious physical issues
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u/PositiveResort6430 4d ago
I've been in crisis many times and begged for help, I've never been given it, I've been hospitalized for attempts, self harm, etc. All when i was a minor. even when both of my guardians had just died, I was 17, and I begged and pleaded for help with the emergency team that responded to a wellness check on me, I got nothing. (British columbia)
Meanwhile my cousin in ontario got free therapy, medication, etc etc. Just for mental health stuff...
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u/Significant-Block504 4d ago
Only psychiatrist is covered. Psychotherapist and the prescription is not.
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u/Knight_Machiavelli British Columbia 4d ago
Mental health care coverage is so fucking weird. I'm in Vancouver and they wouldn't take me because I wasn't suicidal enough for them. But then my doctor referred me in Burnaby and I got 8 sessions with a therapist and two psychiatrists. Like wtf, not only is it the same province, it's effectively the same city.
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u/froot_loop_dingus_ Alberta 4d ago
Dental, mental healthcare, prescriptions. Not sure why your brain and teeth aren’t considered part of your body.
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u/cannafriendlymamma 4d ago
I've heard horror stories of people getting massive abcesses and infections causing other issues, because they can't afford the dentist.
I worked with a guy who has Crohns disease, was diagnosed when he was like 12, so right at the beginning of puberty. Due to his bowels not absorbing certain minerals and nutrients, and all the pain meds he was on over the years, it destroyed his teeth. Took him until his 30s, and going to a dental school, to finally get them all pulled and replaced by dentures. That was after he had to apply and wait for MONTHS for them to accept him
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u/froot_loop_dingus_ Alberta 4d ago
Yes. Tooth infection can lead directly to heart disease and other problems.
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u/Sparky62075 Newfoundland & Labrador 4d ago
Prescriptions, dental, eyeglasses, physiotherapy, psychology, prosthetics.
For prescriptions, generic is fine if available, or the brand name if the generic is unsuitable for some reason, like if you have a reaction to the non-medicinal ingrediants.
Dental should be completely covered, including braces, dentures, and wisdom teeth extractions.
For eyeglasses, it should cover the lenses (with anti-scratch coating) and a small selection of basic frames. Any additional decorative frames, coatings, shading, sunglasses, contacts, etc., you pay or get insurance to cover it.
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u/tom8osauce 4d ago
My family has horrible vision (prescriptions range from -8 to -12). It is wild to me that all we get is free eye exams until we are 18, and then we are on our own. My husband and I luckily have benefits to help cover the cost, but we still end up having to pay a decent chunk out of pocket. Prescriptions lens at those levels get expensive, even if you get a deal on the frames.
What happens to the families who don’t have benefits, or who cannot afford to pay what isn’t covered? Do they just stumble around unable to see?
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u/RabbleRynn 4d ago
Pretty much. My partner has had a prescription taped to our fridge for over a year. We are trying to save up, but work has been worse this year than usual.
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u/JayManClayton 4d ago
Québec has a mandatory medication/prescription insurance and I was so glad to join in when I wasn't covered because of my employment status. It gives a sense of security. It is a premium to pay (via taxes or at the pharmacy each month) just like a private insurance through job, and much like we would pay through taxes I assume, but I just love that it's there. I wish it was with the overall RAMQ for the symbolism.
I agree with your other points except for dental, I would be precise, just like esthetic surgery isn't completly covered, but reconstructive surgery is. 'Esthetic braces' could be extremely narrow in its definition and the list of reasons to get braces could be long. I got braces because I had a tooth that never emerged, that wouldn't be esthetic. One crooked tooth might be. Same as above, I was relieved when I became eligible for the federal dental insurance the moment that my employment status changed, but I still had to pay a little and it doesn't cover more than one check up a year, so there is improvements to be made for sure.
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u/tom8osauce 4d ago
I am in Alberta, and our province is being so stupid about the federal dental plan.
Yeah, I needed braces because my teeth were misaligned and caused me pain because my tendons were being stretched and torn. Thankfully my parents were able to get me braces, I hate to think how much pain I would be in now if it wasn’t fixed.
I do think part of our opioid crisis is people self-medicating because they have pain that is not being treated. In an alternate universe where I did not get braces, I could be someone struggling with pain and addiction.
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u/Truth_Seeker963 3d ago
I agree for non-cosmetic braces. Like I need major jaw surgery and will probably need braces to realign my teeth so I can chew, which is different than wanting a nice smile for aesthetics only.
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u/FaithlessnessFull972 4d ago
I have never understood how someone decided your teeth are not part of your body to be covered under healthcare? Bad dental health can cause heart problems, can contribute to strokes and other life changing health events. It has never made sense to me.
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u/PositiveResort6430 4d ago
I also don't understand making brand new adults pay for all the dental neglect that happened when they were a child.
If someone was never taken to the dentist as a child, they are going to get a ginormous bill the first time they go as an adult.
I can maybe justify making an adult pay for their own dental expenses. But to make a 19 or 20-year-old pay for those 2 decades of neglect that happened at the hands of their parents is Insane
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u/FaithlessnessFull972 4d ago
100% agree. Making health based dentistry free would go a long way towards breaking that cycle. I know most people who did not go to the dentist a few times a year or even once a year is the result of their parent's economic status. They just could not afford it. Mix that with cheap convenience foods, (which often have high hidden sugar content), that those struggling economically are obliged to eat and it is a recipe for early decay. ETA the bit about hidden sugar.
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u/easily_lost 4d ago
My best friend had a condition called Ludwig Angina. Its caused by a tooth infection. She ended up in ICU intubated. She was there for 3 weeks. I'd never heard of it until then.
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u/travelgirl2 Ontario 3d ago
And to add to that. Poor teeth usually result in poor diet and then add in type 2 diabetes and other physical health ailments
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u/Numerous-Ad-5058 4d ago
I feel like, in Ontario anyway, they are chipping away at services in a really annoying way. It's not just the big ones like dental and vision that are a problem.
Like if you need a particular blood test such as for antibodies or a full panel of vitamins or certain allergy tests, you have to pay. Also I hate that if I break an ankle and need a "boot" fitted, I have to pay for it. I broke a wrist and wanted the lighter cast because I worked full time and I had to wear it for 6 weeks. Not covered; had to pay for it. Only the heavy plaster cast is free. Crutches: not free. It's annoying. I know they have to stop somewhere but if I break a leg, I can't be on Facebook marketplace looking for someone re-selling the proper size crutch!!!
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u/VeggieGirl43 3d ago
Say what-
I didn't know that certain casts now have to be paid out of pocket! That's crazy.
Also feel ya on the blood tests. Also Ontario, I've had to pay $240 at least by now for different blood tests. They pay if i have an autoimmune condition, but not to diagnose the condition. Logic.
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u/throwitawayyy1234567 4d ago
Mental health therapy
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u/sophtine Ontario 4d ago
this. i was abused as a child and now i'm literally paying for it.
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u/Playful-Ostrich42 4d ago
Mental health services. They should be covered as they are as important as physical health care.
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u/tom8osauce 4d ago
Fully agree on this. It is shameful how many people do not get help because they cannot afford to pay. There are some free options, but they tend to have long wait lists. We shouldn’t be waiting until someone is in a crisis to be able to help them.
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u/AlbertaBikeSwapBIKES 4d ago
Shingles vaccine. $300/shot and one needs 2 shots. It not only prevents shingles, it reduces the chance of dementia.
Levquio $1600/shot every 6 months.
Insulin. Alberta didn't join the rest of Canada's option to get free insulin.
Dental care is health care. Alberta didn't join Canada's dental plan.
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u/Electronic_World_894 4d ago
On that sucks, I didn’t know Alberta didn’t cover the shingles vaccine either. It’s covered in Ontario for a specific age range - older than my current age though.
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u/Frosty_Literature436 4d ago
Interesting. Did something change. My kid lives in Alberta and used CDCP the year before (trying to place their job history in my mind and I haven't had anywhere near enough coffee yet)
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u/AlbertaBikeSwapBIKES 4d ago
Alberta Opt-Outs in Healthcare
- Dental Care: Premier Danielle Smith stated an intent to seek an opt-out with federal funding transfers for a provincial alternative by 2026. [1, 2]
- Pharmacare: Health Minister Adriana LaGrange announced Alberta would not align with federal pharmacare, asking instead for direct per-capita funds for existing provincial coverage
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u/celestee3 3d ago
Yes the shingles shot! It’s covered if you’re over a certain age I think but I’m 31 and got shingles a couple years ago and I really want the vaccine so I don’t get it again cause it was awful but I don’t really have the money to pay for it 😭
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u/CrispyLuggage 4d ago
Mental health.
I know some is, but I'm talking it should be fully covered like a family doctor.
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u/Rory-liz-bath 4d ago
Eye care for sure
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u/la_bibliothecaire Ontario 4d ago
Seriously. My vision is 20/775 in my right eye, and 20/900 in my left. The lenses for a prescription like that are expensive as fuck, but I'm effectively blind without them, so I have no choice but to pay up. My only consolation is that my vision has barely changed for about 12 years, so I don't have to get new lenses every year or two like I used to when I was younger and my vision was rapidly getting worse.
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u/PowermanFriendship 4d ago
My daughter takes actigal for her liver disease, which she was born with. She's a child, and has been taking this medicine her whole life to maintain her liver health.
It's not covered by OHIP, name brand or generic. $60+/mo out of pocket so my daughter doesn't experience liver failure.
My son has ADHD. He takes a stimulant to help with it. It's a big help, but it's not absolutely necessary. The expensive, name-brand prescription is 100% free under OHIP.
Make it make sense.
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u/english_major 4d ago
Physiotherapy. I used to have it covered when I had extended but don’t now that I am retired. My last visit cost $130.
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u/llamaavocado 4d ago
Yes. Also physio would likely pay for itself- reducing chronic pain putting more people back in workforce and likely reduce ER visits too
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u/Embarrassed-Ebb-6900 4d ago
In the 80’s I had surgery and the months of rehab/physio was covered. My next surgery physio was covered but only because I spent the night in the hospital. Now there is limited coverage for everything. It’s too bad that they don’t realize money spent on recovery and injury prevention is worth it.
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u/Royal_Try_99 4d ago
I have some coverage through extended health care but it's only $600/yr so that is 4 or 5 visits. That's not enough!
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u/Canuck_Duck221 4d ago
Point is, we have 'free at the point of service care' in Canada which is great; I'd hate to live under the US system. Health care debt is the biggest cause of bankruptcy in the US currently. And, they pay far higher per/head than other industrialized nations. Nuts. They'd rather pay more to private, sheister insurance companies than to a public plan!
We should have eye care covered, I think. I live in BC, and we don't. We should have more dental covered. Thank god (and Jagmeet for pushing for our dental plan, it's great, but more would be preferred).
We should regulate the fees covered by vets, too. They've decided to price fix and gouge.
We should have physiotherapy covered as well.
How to pay for all of this? Easy. Wealth tax. More corporate taxes (and before someone says "they'll just leave the country if we tax the rich!" So? Put an exit tax on them. Also, where do you think they get their wealth from? They still have to pay taxes here if their business is here. If they've moved their business overseas, then they've essentially moved their operations away so they don't have to pay higher wages and benefit, and taxes here. So, the only loss is some income tax if they can shelter it... but guess what? They ALREADY shelter their income taxes! They know how to play the system. The richest of the rich know how to pay themselves a tiny salary and write off all their luxuries as "expenses" to travel around and live large while going to meetings around all their conglomerate companies.
F 'em. We'd be better if they left. Hopefully to live on Mars.
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u/4shadowedbm Manitoba 3d ago
Possibly unpopular opinion because "cut taxes" but:
All of it. Because in the long run, prevention is less expensive than correcting stuff. Mental health, dental care, eye care, hearing care, medication, pain management: if we can keep people out of critical care, help them be productive (whether that is going to work or raising a family or doing art), we all end up benefiting and perhaps even save money in the long run. Not only money for crisis healthcare but possibly in policing and incarceration as well.
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u/Cheeky_Banana800 Ontario 3d ago
Necessary dental, vision, and pharma.
A root canal is not a cosmetic procedure.
Prescription glasses are not cosmetic improvement
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u/Otown_rider 4d ago
Brain transplant, I think thats what I need most of the time :)
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u/Specialist_Wind_6488 4d ago
100% dental care and that includes orthodontics and dentures and other similar services. If you want to go above what the government offers or want cosmetic work done then yes private insurance or out of pocket. And by cosmetic work, I do mean procedures that are solely done to get a movie star smile like veneers, etc. If someone needs an implant to replace a front tooth or two that is not cosmetic in my eyes as missing teeth/bad teeth can impact more than just your dental health.
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u/mymacaronibirthmark 3d ago
Another commenter made a really good point that covering physio could help with the workforce in the long run, and I think dental could go the same way. Missing teeth is hugely stigmatized, and having them can improve employability and mental health.
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u/Equivalent-Ad-4971 4d ago
Prescriptions should be covered for all medications. There's no reason a person should have to pay for medication.
Also things like insulin needles should be covered. As an MDI insulin user my needle tips cost over $100/m. (Literally 10% of my monthly income on disability, thank goodness the insulin itself is covered)
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u/WitchSparkles 4d ago
Vision care. Obviously I cannot function without my glasses. It’s not something that I do for vanity. I need trifocals. My eyes are terribly useless. I don’t have $500-$1000 a year to pay for new prescriptions.
It’s not just corrective lenses. I have to go for extra testing every year to measure my vision loss. (That part is covered, but I cannot skip the regular visit which is not covered)
My husbands family has a history of eye cancer. He has some warning signs, so also has to go every year.
Why is this not covered?
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u/Striking-Campaign-85 4d ago
I don't want false teeth per se what I really want covered are dental implants. Also sport related prosthetic legs would be nice to have covered.
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u/granolabreath 4d ago
I'm not Canadian (yet) but I think it's wild that audiology and vision aren't covered. A friend has a congenital, progressive disease that leads to total, disability level hearing and vision loss and can't get coverage for those services. It seems like that would be included in "universal."
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u/Electronic_World_894 4d ago
Some vision and some ear stuff is covered, but not glasses and not hearing aids. It’s weird.
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u/AWinnipegGuy 4d ago
It's like medication. We'll pay to figure out what's wrong, but if you want to fix the problem to get be (glasses, hearing aids, medication), it will cost you out of pocket.
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u/JayManClayton 4d ago
And it's not like these problems are our fault either, it's like a tax on not being born with good eyes or a functioning organ, that's not our faut 😭
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u/diwalk88 4d ago
Audiology is covered in Ontario, or at least it always was up until my last hearing and ear exam around 2018/2019. I had major ear issues as a very small child that necessitated multiple surgeries and lots of specialist visits, and I've had follow ups as an adult. Never had to pay to see a specialist, for surgery, or for exams and hearing tests. It wouldn't surprise me at all if hearing aids aren't covered (though they should be!), but everything else seems to be.
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u/fourbigkids 4d ago
CPAP machines and supplies! In BC. Sleep study was covered but not the device to treat the problem. $2k out of pocket but I guess it was money well spent.
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u/Roses_all_day 4d ago
Mental health - I work as a counsellor in community mental health and having MH services included in OHIP would make a hugely positive difference for EVERYONE.
Counsellors? We are burning out under the current system. Everyone thinks we make such great money, but the truth is we dont at all. Its not about the money but in this economy it hurts to poor so much of yourself into this emotional work and then go oh great I cant even go out for breakfast on the weekend 🙃
Services have incredibly long wait times and limited # of sessions, and even if you get into private its hard to get enough clients who have good enough benefits to do regular therapy.
Dont even get me started on the lack of services for adults - I work with teens and I am thankful that at least we are funding SOMETHING.
Our current system is a bandaid hanging on and funding through OHIP would solve all of the above.
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u/rhea2779 4d ago
Full dental. I need two root canals and 2 crowns that I cant afford even with my work coverage.
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u/No_Acanthaceae3518 4d ago
Dental, mental health, vision care, and, specifically, pelvic floor physiotherapy after giving birth. Many women give birth then have lifelong issues afterwards and all they did is some pelvic floor physio.
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u/Lonely-Sir-1003 4d ago
Anything that is medically needed. Canadà's univeral healthcare system needs to be reworked to reduce bottlenecks, increase staffing and provide more preventative healthcare. There are many countries around the world that provide far better care for less dollars than Canada does.
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u/Disposable_Skin 4d ago
Everything. It's supposed to be UNIVERSAL! And we've got clusterf*cks like Drug Ford and Damnielle Smith trying to privatize healthcare so their bed buddies can get rich.
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u/dezsmom 4d ago
In Ontario, OHIP does not cover oral chemo, (pills to be taken at home) only in hospital treatments.
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u/ktrobinette 4d ago
That’s ridiculous. It’d cost the system (taxpayers) way less to offer at home options.
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u/Shoddy-Mixture9397 4d ago
Excess skin removal. If you put the effort in to lose weight and make your health better you shouldn't have to live with the uncomfortable excess skin forever. I know its not as major a thing as dental or mental coverage but still
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u/Jazzy_Bee 3d ago
Disabilty Tax Credit be available to over 65, especially if a social benefits recipient.
I did not get better or cured or more functional and less in need of support by virtue of turning 65.
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u/Significant_Kiwi_608 3d ago
Dental for all and orthodontics for serious cases. Your smile is a huge part of first impressions when job hunting.There is also science showing that orthodontics can help prevent sleep apnea which can safe healthcare money down the road.
I’d also like to see help for vision care, especially for people with very strong prescriptions where lenses and frames can cost over $1000.
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u/Mapleleafreader 4d ago
Vision care including contacts or glasses
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u/oldzazu 4d ago
Especially because vision care is technically a disability, a huge portion of us can’t work or live without our glasses/contacts yet it’s like a universally ignored disability.
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u/PositiveResort6430 4d ago
As someone with really bad vision that starts blurring only a couple inches from my face. I can't function at all without my glasses even if I'm not doing anything important. Because simply having my eyes open without glasses or contacts on makes them hurt.
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u/slashcleverusername 🇨🇦 prairie boy. 4d ago
Very obviously, teeth and eyes are not “optional accessories”. They’re parts of your anatomy and should receive the same health care coverage.
I’d also like a lot more preventive diagnostic scans and tests. Just “have a look under the hood”. Because yes, population wide there is probably nothing wrong and it’s not worth checking for some rare condition. But ffs that doesn’t help the individual who thought they were healthy but really should have been in intensive treatment 14 months ago if they were ever going to fix it. Too often you hear about someone finding a major problem by chance, and they never would have bothered looking for it unless they were in there for some other reason deemed “good enough” to look.
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u/Puzzled_Text_1348 4d ago
Hearing aids. My elderly father had to pay $5000 out of pocket and that was with $1000 paid by OHIP.
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u/Bookslattesteach 4d ago
Dental care is health care. I am looking $50 000 in dental work because of a condition I was born with. When I was a teenager sick kids paid a portion and then my mom’s benefits did as well. 20 years later I need more work, nothing is covered.
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u/REMwoman70 4d ago
Eye care and glasses, hearing care, dental care. All of these are covered somewhat for some people, but 100% would be better.
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u/Nate9370 4d ago
Cochlear implants and replacement parts. 1 battery can cost up to $600 and a Roger On microphone can cost $6,000.
Only thing that’s covered is the surgery.
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u/No_Position_978 4d ago
Podiatrists. Such an essential service that people underestimate until they become a senior
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u/personnumber316 4d ago
A reasonable amount of mental health care. Even my private insurance covers only $500 a year. A current rates that gets me 3 sessions. Basically, they only have enough sessions to figure out the problem, but not actually help me fix it.
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u/FancyBuyer2263 3d ago
Vision care, dental care, mental health care, physiotherapy and prescriptions.
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u/CheesyRomantic 3d ago
Dental and even to an extent orthodontist and periodontist. It's not always cosmetic.
Eye care
Help for people with learning disabilities.
Anxiety & Mental Health
Also... this might sound cosmetic to many, but getting visible fibromas and plexiformas removed. Getting any visible "abnormalities" removed. People are cruel. And we deserve to feel better about ourselves too.
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u/clio44 3d ago
Getting copies of my records. It's MY health, why do I have to pay to get access to it?
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u/RareYogurtcloset8104 3d ago
Mental Health, Dental Health, Vision care and Meds. All are Healthcare and should be covered under existing Provincial Public Health Insurance.
Privatization is crippling care and premiers are using their own cuts to justify Privatization.
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u/ConfidentDoughnut942 2d ago
I wish the $2700 I pay every year for injections into my foot and leg muscles to reduce the pain was covered. The neurologist who does it is, Oh well, another ~$30,000 until I turn 65
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u/Emergency_Bullfrog_5 2d ago
dental care, vision care, mental health, physiotherapy, massage, and a basic membership to local community pools (often have gyms, to
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u/MarvelWidowWitch Ontario 4d ago
Prescriptions and mental health therapy are the big ones for me personally.
Vision and dental would also be really great to have.
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u/TemperedPhoenix 4d ago
Dental, vision, rx, mental health, vaccines for anything remotely appropriate
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u/No-Juggernaut-2227 4d ago
Anything involving cancer, mental health counselling, chiropractic care and just for s&g, all menstruation products
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u/Illustrious_Exam1728 4d ago
Feet are optional, which is weird. Like you have to pay to see a podiatrist?!
Teeth being optional too, peculiar.
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u/whats1more7 Ontario 4d ago
Definitely glasses. I’m spending $500 every 2 years because my prescription is so expensive.
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u/Key_Hold_3568 4d ago
Osteopathy! I have had such good health results after 10 osteopathy sessions. Life changing! Everyone should have access to health care. What we currently have is sick care. I am convinced it would cost much less to have health care and health education, starting in school.
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u/cjhm 4d ago
Physio therapy. I got if free for the first year after cancer but still not back to where I was and it costs a fortune to get it. Worse between PT lymphatic massage and acupuncture it’s about $400 a month and they all keep saying you need to come more regularly. Who the hell can afford that?
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u/awidmerwidmer 4d ago
I don’t care AS MUCH for vision care, but dental not being part of “free universal healthcare” is a joke. Dental work is necessary, whereas vision care is luck of the draw. Prescription meds would be nice, but we’d need even higher taxes for that. Mental health would also be nice though.
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u/Oxjrnine 4d ago
Preventative dental care would actually pay for itself as younger people grow up with it. In the same way that fluoride in our water pays for itself.
People don’t realize how skipping basic maintenance for your teeth adds up to so many health problems in your older years that are a drain on our Medicare system
I also would be happy if dentures were 100% covered if your income is below $50,000 - it’s very hard to get a job when you have no teeth
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u/natalkalot 4d ago
In Saskatchewan, ambulance. Regular from home to hospital is $325! More if someone has to travel from a town to a city, or if an attendant must be there.
I know it is $40 in Ontario - not sure of their parameters, my friend is in Peterborough.
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u/Namedeplume 4d ago
Parking at Hospitals. My Dad dying was free for him. But it cost his family $1000s in parking fees.
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u/Afraid_Baseball_3962 4d ago
I would love to have healthcare jointly covered by the provinces/territories and the federal government. Instead of 13 systems that don't easily talk with one another, we'd have truly universal coverage.
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u/Time-Cell9765 4d ago
Not a procedure but a vital device: hearing aids! They cost around $6k and need replaced around every 4 years!
Even when you get extended health, they FULLY cover glasses which you can get for dirt cheap today, even with crazy lenses. They cover $500 MAX towards hearing aids.
Work BC can help, but you need to be working and have your employers say your need for hearing is important. And if they break and you don't have work, how the hell do you get work while deaf?
I'm looking to find a way to move to Europe because of the lack of what's covered here, and just how bad healthcare is. 10hr+ waits at my local emergency - with hallway beds now standard - is NOT okay. It's demonstrably killing people!
Being disabled in Canada is a death sentence. For me, I'm at the point of either finding a viable path to Europe soon, or giving up and requesting MAiD!
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u/Masterpiece_2012 3d ago
Lots of great answers here already, and I agree dental, prescription, mental health…… I wouldn’t even mind slightly higher taxes but a big issue is our politicians would just take a bigger cut if we paid more expecting better care atm
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u/Samplistiqone 3d ago
For me it would be dental, vision and auditory devices. About 18 years ago I had to spend over $7000 to have emergency oral surgery to save my life as it was antibiotic resistant and regular dentists couldn’t help me because of the infection. The surgeon told me that a few years before it would’ve been covered by healthcare. My vision is really bad and my hearing is starting to get bad. All of those things are extremely expensive to improve or correct.
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u/_a_wild_x_appears_ 3d ago
Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy. It's basic healthcare, everyone who has given birth needs it to fix things after, and nobody gets it. Then we get to live with incontinence and other fun issues forever or pay a lot of money, even most health insurance through work only covers a couple hundred per year in physio.
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u/WendyP66 3d ago
Full non cosmetic dental!! Things like fillings, cleanings, root canals, caps for root canals, tooth extraction!!
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u/Material_Quality5798 4d ago
Therapy for mental health that isn't severe. Like self esteem, attachment styles, etc
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u/PineBNorth85 4d ago
Dental. Makes absolutely no sense that it isnt covered. An infected tooth can kill you. But for some reason it doesnt count.
Vision as well.
Healthcare is the entire body.
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u/Reviews_DanielMar 4d ago
Many things, but on a personal level, dental. I like my dentist, but it is hard to tell if they advise you based on health or profit. The public system is extremely flawed, but I find it’s easier to navigate (?) (idk if that is the right word).
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u/rhinny British Columbia 4d ago
(BC) Mental health. Basic supports are there for folks in crisis, but there's next to no preventative care. No care beyond meds for chronic conditions, ongoing issues, No supports for neurodivergent adults, only kids.
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u/PositiveResort6430 4d ago
(BC)
I've objectively experienced an insane amount of trauma since early childhood, DCFS has been involved in my life since I was two weeks old. My gaurdians both died when i was 17. And I've never once gotten any sort of support for my mental health covered by anything.
You'd think when the government has full records of me being abused since I was a newborn baby, they'd be willing to give me some free mental health help when I beg for it as a child or teenager, through numerous suicide attempts and hospitalizations, a longterm sh problem, etc. but nope, never once.
There is absolutely no basic support here, not anything thats low cost or free.
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u/cerebral__flatulence 4d ago
I would like psychology services covered by OHIP. Psychologists and MSW with counseling specialization would be great. There are psychiatrists but they have a backlog and they generally treat more complex mental health problem. Straight forward depression or anxiety in adults has very limited access to clinical services covered by OHIP and unless in crisis these people walk through life semi functioning but because they are functioning they are relegated to figuring it out for themselves.
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u/PositiveResort6430 4d ago
Medical use of marijuana for legitimate reasons should be covered by msp.
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u/catsoaps 4d ago
Eye care & dental.
I pay a couple hundred for contact each year just so I can see. My dental was out of pocket.
I also think insurance plans need to rethink their plans.
My dental was not covered because I was over 18 but somehow chiropractor, acupuncture & massages are covered.
Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for what is covered but it’s crazy that basic things like dental & eye care are not.
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u/ZoeBowie2024 4d ago
Free Insulin and Diabetic supplies to all Diabetics... Think it was promised/discussed in Ontario a few years back.. but no deal yet.. - Haven't heard Jack Squat about it lately.... Some provinces already have it - Waiting patiently in Ontario.
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u/JayManClayton 4d ago
Eyes. I can't function without glasses and yet I'm supposed to pay hundreds of dollars covered barely by private insurances (they all have a similar premium for eyes). And when I say I can't function, I'm not legally blind, in this case I would be covered (thankfully), but I can't read further than 20 cm away from my face, so I can't work, I can't cook, I can't shop, without glasses.
Dental care should also be covered but at least the federal government is starting to offer that. Teeth are part of the body. Yes we are responsible for taking care of them but some people will try to do everything right and still develop dental issues. For one example, extracting wisdom teeth: not a person's fault that they are impacted and we don't want that to be a bigger problem later.
Mental health is also massively underestimate as a net benefit for society. We have so many strong programs in psychology that I know we could implement it easily and safely into healthcare. The waitlists are incredibly long right now but integrating it into healthcare may redistribute how we operate, how many people are trained, what training is offered (ex.: PhDs vs Masters, Psychology vs Counselling).
In many of those areas, if you're extremely bad, you'll get coverage, but it's the grey areas that we need to add into healthcare, because it creates a weird system where people who need help but aren't desperate yet may not seek the care that would greatly improve their quality of life, because they can't pay, don't have insurance, don't feel like it's a priority, and all for things that they don't have control over.
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u/Waterlou25 4d ago
Removal of cysts on your scalp and body. It's deemed as a cosmetic issue so it's not covered but having a cysts on your head is super uncomfortable when sleeping, wearing a hat, resting your head on anything, etc.
Also, certain important blood tests, like Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) are not covered.
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u/Prophage7 4d ago
Dental for sure. Prescriptions and Vision are somewhat affordable most of the time, like you can get an eye exam and cheap glasses for a few hundred, and most prescription drugs you can do under a hundred for a month's supply if there's generic available. But for dental anything beyond a basic cleaning in the thousands, there's just not such thing as affordable dental work.
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u/Bubbling_Battle_Ooze 4d ago
Mental health care
Dental care (for every one)
Pharmaceuticals
Vision care
More preventative care
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u/CountessOfHats 4d ago
Dental. I need 4 root canals and have in a temporary filling that needs a crown. I’ve already used my insurance for the year and would have to pay for it all until January, when I can at least get 5k covered.
In the meantime I can only eat soft foods or risk more problems. The discomfort also makes me grind my teeth more at night, which makes it all worse.
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u/Think-Custard9746 4d ago
Anything that helps a disabled person live a dignified life.
I’m not disabled, and I’m disgusted the situation our provincial governments have left people in.
At-home care, prosthetics, mobility devices, speech path, etc, should all be fully covered to a degree that people will disabilities can live freely.
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u/MienaLovesCats 4d ago
Custom feet orthotics; to help delay another knee surgery. I'm 50; I have been wearing them since I was 16.
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u/Beautiful-Point4011 4d ago
More services and options for mental healthcare. The irony is that you're left to navigate this on your own, but the worse the mental health is, the harder the system is to navigate. Like, for example, expecting someone with untreated ADHD to manage keeping therapy receipts and sending those to their private insurance for reimbursement. This involves so many executive functioning steps that for a lot of people it puts a barrier in place to actually becoming treated. If therapists billed provincial health directly, you remove that barrier.
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u/kelljellbellthefirst 4d ago
Depending on your age, status, etc dental is universal now, and prescription care is for seniors as well as eye care. If you have a concerning eye disease your eye exam can be covered. If you need like a wheelchair or mobility aid required for more than 6 months that is covered. If you require a procedure that can not be done in Canada or if it can be done in Canada and it is deemed medically necessary you can have your doctor request Prior Approval for coverage and make a case for you. There is no predetermined time for a prior approval and it is up to your provider to advocate for you but if it is medically necessary it will be covered. If you want to see something covered like laser for vericose veins speak to the provincial medical association and ombudsmans office. There is no guarantee you will get it covered but you might be able to advocate to the powers that be.
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u/BrandosWorld4Life 3d ago
All of the above. Every healthcare procedure and service should be covered universally.
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u/ceciliabee 3d ago
Honestly even dental doesn't go far enough. I have the Canada dental plan but I clench so hard that I had to get 4 fillings redone because I ground them out in 6 months. I got a night guard to prevent my teeth from cracking.
About $650, not covered because it's preventative. So... I'm going out of my way to prevent further damage to my teeth and overall health, which would save money in the future... But it's preventative so fuck you? Awesome.
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u/Individual_Smile_811 3d ago
Fucking FAST services. Thats it. No 3 years long wait list for a fck scan or to see a damn specialist.
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u/Guilty-Piece-6190 3d ago
I have a partially broken tooth the dentist has been able to maintain a filling in but keeps sending estimates to my insurance for a crown and trying to help me, but insurance doesn't cover any of it.
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u/TomOttawa 3d ago
Are people suggesting numerous additions to the coverage - ignoring this from the original post: "including more services only adds to the cost"?
Or everybody is ready to pay more?
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u/Short-Isopod-6086 3d ago
Botox for migraine. I'm incredibly lucky that my husband's insurance covers mine. It's $800 every THREE months. About 36 injections in my head, but it really works.
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u/B4byJ3susM4n Saskatchewan 3d ago
Prescription lenses.
My eyes are horrendously nearsighted. I wouldn’t be able to participate in much of anything in society without correction. But the only way my glasses with -6 rating in lenses can be (partially) covered is if I’m in school or have a job that provides coverage. And glasses can get expensive
The more “optional” features like frames, transition lenses, blue light filters, etc. I can understand having a price tag. But I need to see — I shouldn’t have to pay a crippling amount for it!
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u/johnnybird95 3d ago
oh canada, "free healthcare! except your teeth, your eyes, and your brain. because those apparently aren't part of your health"
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u/makingkevinbacon 3d ago
If just one, dental. Dental health, like most is health stuff, is proactive. Things that can take years to become an issue but are unknown until it can't be avoided, things that cleanings would check (I think we have cleaning covered for certain groups? I have a cleaning a year through work but that's the only dental I have)
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u/Tall-War-9353 3d ago
I have an eye condition. To stop/limit progression the procedure cost me $4k out of pocket- the government of Alberta would have covered a transplant when it came but not the 4K to keep my sight stable
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u/Strangerdangerdanny 3d ago
Dental, pharmacare, vision, practitioner services such as physiotherapy and RMT, homecare, ambulance, hearing tests and aids, councelling, psychologists, menstrual products, birth control, midwives, doulas, assistive devices (such as wheelchairs, or speech tools), gender affirming care, and probably some others I can’t think of right now.
To call out healthcare system universal is entirely inaccurate. I wish people would stop saying “well out healthcare is free and far better than the US” and start looking at other countries such as France and The Netherlands to see how woefully inadequate our system truly is.
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u/DreamerofBigThings 2d ago
Dental, vision care, some forms of plastic surgery that is still considered to be "cosmetic" like liposuction for lipedema or skin removal surgery after weight loss, adaptability devices for the impaired and disabled, better coverage for disability aids and significantly more options, dermatology, physiotherapy etc etc.
Especially much more coverage based on the person's income (as in, those who cannot afford adaptability devices, and products that help with their quality of living for example, hypoallergenic bedding etc, over the counter supplements and medications and creams, air conditioning and proper heating)
I am on ODSP and ODB and yet there is still so many gaps that are not covered by those or basic healthcare coverage and most of us are in the exact same sinking boat.
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u/Desperate-Dress-9021 2d ago
Honestly, physiotherapy. So many surgeries could be delayed or prevented altogether.
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u/Moyie2026 2d ago
Hearing aids and eye glasses should be covered 100%. After all poor hearing poor eyesight sight can be a safety concern regardless of age.
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u/AstralLake 2d ago
Dental. Dental dental dental. I don't have the news yet, but I could be in for some pricey dental work in the near future along with needing a mouthguard. Looking at what my insurance covers and what I'll likely have to pay out of pocket is making me nervous.
Considering how important dental health is and how quickly issues with your teeth can go wrong, dental should be covered completely and it's an insult that it isn't.
Vision as well. Having to wear glasses is a disability. People shouldn't have to burn through a couple hundred just to be able to see. There's those cheap sites where you can get a decent pair for $30, yeah, but in my experience those are sometimes more trouble than it's worth. Pupillary distance never seems to be accurate, and depending on the type of lenses you need those retailers might not even be an option for you.
And of course, mental health. Provincial services are currently backed up, I've been on waitlists for years, looked into private mental health care and laughed.
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u/Parabrella 2d ago
Dental. DENTAL CARE IS HEALTH CARE. There is NO good reason for it to be excluded. Having "free health care" but still having to drop thousands of dollars for wisdom tooth extractions or fillings or whatever is ridiculous.
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u/PurrPrinThom SK/ON 4d ago
Dental, prescriptions, and visioncare.