RBC Health Insurance Review (2026)

Is RBC health insurance good?

The Royal Bank of Canada, or RBC, is the fifth-oldest bank in Canada and the biggest of the “Big 5” banks. Unlike Desjardins and Scotiabank, it doesn’t offer private health insurance, but it can help protect your savings from health-related shocks with critical illness, disability insurance, and hospital insurance.

So, how does Canada’s biggest bank perform as a health insurance provider? Let’s find out:

Our expert take

Thanks to its size and financial clout, RBC stocks a wide variety of health insurance products, perks, and riders. Unfortunately, it has an equally vast pool of customers, and some reviewers mention feeling lost in the shuffle.

How much does RBC health insurance cost?

For many RBC products, getting a health insurance quote or completing an application requires a phone call with an advisor, but there is an exception. We pulled 16 quotes for RBC Simplified Disability Insurance to give you an idea of the monthly costs:

^{* Table displays the approximate monthly costs for applicants living in Ontario with an annual income of $65,000 before taxes, looking for $1,000 per month to begin after 60 days of disability.}

RBC critical illness insurance

RBC sells two critical insurance plans, a basic version known as Critical Illness Insurance Plan, and a more comprehensive version called Critical Illness Recovery Plan.

Both plans may require a telephone interview, medical exam, and/or medical documentation to apply. You’ll also require Canadian citizenship, permanent residency, or proof of living that you’ve lived in the country for 12 months or more.

As for the differences, Critical Illness Insurance covers fewer conditions and offers less coverage, but it’s also cheaper. If you don’t mind budgeting more for financial security, Critical Illness Recovery guards against nearly 8 times as many conditions and illnesses, with coverage options extending up to $2 million.

For more differences between the two, see the table below:

RBC disability insurance

RBC offers seven types of disability plans, many of which are designed for high-income workers. Here’s the list from the least to most coverage available:

• RBC Simplified Disability Insurance
• Retirement Protector
• The Fundamental Series
• The Bridge Series
• The Foundation Series
• The Professional Series
• Quantum

Regardless of which plan you choose, they’re all portable, which means your coverage accompanies you from job to job. There are also a few common and important benefits and riders you’ll see pop up again and again, including:

• Accidental Medical Emergency Reimbursement Benefit: A complimentary perk that covers certain medical expenses not covered by your provincial health insurance plan.
• Medical Confidence Service: A complimentary perk providing more accurate diagnoses, one-on-one support from a registered nurse, faster access to specialists, and more.
• Return-to-Work Assistance: A unique, complimentary program providing customized support to help you return to full-time work. Services may include job training, job search assistance, physical and/or psychological rehabilitation, and more.

Finally, you can turn many RBC accident disability insurance plans into accident and injury insurance by adding the Illness Coverage Rider. It’s available to Canadians between the ages of 18–64, may require a medical exam, and extends your disability coverage to apply to illnesses for up to 2 years.

RBC Simplified Disability Insurance

Designed for contract, part-time, and self-employed workers (as well as subcontractors and anybody lacking a group disability plan), RBC’s Simplified Disability Insurance offers a low-cost entry point to coverage. Premiums start at just $10.50 per month, but they can change if RBC reassesses the risk posed to your demographic. 

For example, let’s say you’re a 50-year-old, non-smoking male. A new research paper shows men between 40–60 are susceptible to a new flu variant, so RBC raises the premiums for male customers between 40–60 years old. The risk applies to your age and gender group whether or not you end up catching the flu.

Key features

• $500, $1,000, or $1,500 in monthly benefits for up to 2 years
• 1 optional rider available (illness coverage)
• Available from age 18-55
• Benefits are not reduced by payouts from other plans
• Covers total disability by injury
• Guaranteed renewable
• No medical exam required

Retirement Protector

Retirement Protector is a unique type of disability insurance that contributes to your Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) after an illness or injury prevents you from doing so. It’s sold as an add-on to other disability policies and as a standalone product.

Key features

• $300–$1,500 in monthly RSP contributions for 10 years or until age 65
• Available from age 18–55
• Covers total disability resulting from illness or injury
• Includes health care profession rider, rehabilitation benefit, and waiver of premium during disability
• Non-cancellable

The Fundamental Series

The Fundamental Series is geared towards workers in contract, construction, retail, seasonal, and self-employed fields, as well as tradespeople of all kinds. It asks only 3 pre-qualifying questions, and like RBC Simplified Disability Insurance, your premiums depend on which social groups you fall into.

Key features

• $500–$20,000 in monthly benefits for up to 5 years or until age 70
• 4 optional riders available, including illness coverage
• Available from age 18–69
• Benefits may be reduced by payouts from other plans
• Covers partial or total disability by injury
• Guaranteed renewable
• Includes accidental medical emergency benefit, medical confidence service, return to work benefits, and waiver of premium during disability
• No medical exam required

The Bridge Series

The Bridge Series is aimed at small business owners, managers, tradespeople, and middle-income earners who want a more affordable version of the Foundation Series. If you’re a farmer, you could even receive additional protection against losses and damages arising from your absence at work.

Key features

• $450–$25,0000 in monthly benefits for up to 2 years, 5 years, or until age 65
• 8 optional riders available
• Available from age 18–60
• Benefits may be reduced by payouts from other plans
• Convertible
• Covers total disability by illness or injury
• Guaranteed renewable
• Includes return to work benefits, medical confidence service, survivor benefits, and waiver of premium during disability
• Medical exam may be required

The Foundation Series

The Foundation Series provides comprehensive disability coverage for small business owners, managers, tradespeople, middle-income earners, and self-employed farmers. You can choose to pay level, guaranteed premiums until age 65, or stepped rates from 18-35 while you grow your career.

Key features

• 8 optional riders available
• $450–$25,000 in monthly benefits for up to 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or until age 65
• Available from age 18–60
• Benefits may be reduced by payouts from other plans
• Convertible
• Covers total disability by illness or injury
• Includes presumptive total disability waiver, recovery benefit, return to work benefits, survivor benefit, and waiver of premium during disability
• Medical exam may be required

The Professional Series

The Professional Series is designed for business owners, executives, doctors, lawyers, accountants, and other professionals who need a high level of income protection. It includes more comprehensive definitions of disability, guaranteed level premiums until age 65, and the option to pay stepped rates between 18-35 while you establish your career.

Key features

• $450 - $25,000 in monthly benefits for 2 years, 5 years, or until age 65
• 8 optional riders available
• Available from age 18–60
• Benefits are not reduced by payouts from other plans
• Covers partial, residual, and total disability as a result of illness or injury
• Includes return to work benefits, recovery benefits, and survivor benefit
• Medical exam may be required
• Non-cancellable to age 65
• Renewable

Quantum

Quantum is a unique type of disability insurance that kicks in whenever illness or injury reduces your earnings by 20% or more. Similar to the Professional Series, it’s designed for business owners, executives, doctors, and high-income earners, but your premiums aren’t guaranteed until age 65.

Key features

• $1,500–$50,000 in monthly benefits for 2 years, 5 years, or until age 65
• 6 optional riders available
• Available from age 18–60
• Benefits may be reduced by payouts from other plans
• Convertible
• Covers the loss of at least 20% of your earnings as a result of illness or injury
• Guaranteed renewable
• Includes health care profession rider, medical confidence service, recovery benefit, return to work benefits, and waiver of premium during disability
• Medical exam may be required

RBC hospital insurance

Hospital insurance provides a tax-free, cash sum for every day you spend in the hospital, which you can use for childcare, takeout, gift shop teddy bears, or whatever else you need. If you pass away during hospitalization, the rest of your coverage will be paid to your estate.

RBC’s hospital insurance is only available to RBC customers between 18 and 69 (and the spouses of RBC customers between 18 and 74). Both plans are guaranteed issue, with no medical exams or questions asked, and charge level, guaranteed premiums until age 75, at which point your coverage ends.

There are only a few differences between the two:

How does RBC health insurance compare to other providers?

Most critical illness insurance plans on the Canadian market use similar disability definitions and exclusions, so they’re easy to compare. RBC’s Critical Illness Recovery Plan provides more coverage than PolicyMe and Manulife, but doesn’t cover as many ages or illnesses:

Is RBC health insurance worth it?

As a large bank, RBC offers an unbeatable selection of products, perks, and riders, including specialized options for high-income individuals. It’s a great choice if income protection and customization are your top concerns, but its critical illness coverage isn’t as comprehensive as other plans on the market. 

However, customers seeking private health insurance (or more attentive customer service) may want to look elsewhere. RBC’s health insurance policies will only add to your medical expenses, and their popularity may lead to issues in communicating and processing claims.

FAQ: RBC health insurance

Prices listed on this page are based on information available as of January 2026. The prices shown are for general reference only and may vary based on factors like your age, location, and product selection.