Best Private Health Insurance in Canada (2026): Top Plans Compared

About the data

PolicyMe’s rankings are based on an independent, data-driven review of Canada's leading health and dental insurance products and providers. Our analysis draws on 1,700+ quotes covering 50+ health insurance products from the seven biggest providers in Canada, sourced from official product websites and supplemented with customer ratings from Google. To improve the accuracy of our recommendations and cost comparisons, we grouped plans into multiple categories based on coverage, pricing, and eligibility requirements. We assessed plans across four coverage categories:

• Complete plans provide both prescription drug and dental coverage.
• No dental plans do not include dental coverage.
• No drug plans do not include prescription drug coverage.
• High drug plans provide at least $90,000 in prescription drug coverage per year.

Plans were also grouped into three pricing tiers:

• Basic plans offer the lowest level of coverage and the lowest premiums within a given product series.
• Mid plans provide more coverage than basic plans, at a lower cost than premium plans.
• Premium plans offer the highest or second-highest level of coverage and carry the highest or second-highest premiums within a product series.

Finally, we categorized plans based on eligibility requirements:

• Guaranteed plans require permanent Canadian residency and enrollment in the public health insurance plan of the applicant’s home province.
• Replacement plans have the same requirements as guaranteed plans, but are only available to applicants who are leaving, or have recently left (within the past year), an employer group benefits plan.
• Underwritten plans share the requirements of guaranteed plans and may require applicants to complete a health questionnaire or undergo a medical exam.

We collected quotes for the eight most populous provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Any premiums shown for “Canada” represent an average across these eight regions.

About age groups

Unlike life insurance, health and dental insurance premiums aren’t based on your exact age. Instead, health insurance providers sort applicants into 10 or more age groups with set prices, and age ranges can vary by provider.

To ensure fair and consistent pricing comparisons, we applied the following standardized definitions:

• Children refers to age groups with a starting age closest to 0.
• Adults refers to age groups with a starting age closest to 18.
• Older adults refers to the age group immediately following the adult group.
• Seniors refers to age groups with a starting age closest to 60.

All providers in our review offered age groups that exactly matched our definitions for children and seniors, allowing for precise pricing comparisons at ages 0 and 60. Among adult age groups, starting ages ranged from 18 to 21, while older adult groups ranged from 45 to 55.

About star ratings

Each product received a star rating out of five based on pricing, convenience, customer satisfaction, and coverage. Products offering convenient online quoting and purchasing options formed the baseline for inclusion in our review.

We compared the cost of each health and dental insurance plan to the industry average for comparable plans with the same coverage type, pricing tier, and eligibility requirements, within the same region and age group. Providers whose plans were priced below the industry average, on average, earned one star.

Providers with a Google Reviews score of 4.0 or higher earned an additional star. We also recognized individual products whose total coverage for prescription drugs, basic dental services, vision care, paramedical visits, mental health care, accidental dental services, and ambulance transportation exceeded the industry average by at least 10%.

About rankings

Rankings within each category are determined first by star rating (highest to lowest) and then by monthly premium (lowest to highest).

About categories

We created 26 “best of” categories to highlight the most popular types of coverage and to reflect the needs of modern Canadian families. Unless otherwise noted, rankings are based on quotes for adults and use the same ranking methodology.

The categories and their criteria are as follows:

• Best health and dental insurance in Canada (and by province) includes all guaranteed mid-tier plans with complete coverage.
• Best budget health and dental insurance in Canada (and by province) includes all guaranteed basic-tier plans with complete coverage.
• Best high drug health insurance in Canada includes all guaranteed and underwritten plans with high drug coverage, including coverage for pre-existing prescriptions.
• Best high-value health insurance in Canada (or best supplemental health insurance in Canada) includes all guaranteed premium-tier plans with complete coverage.
• Best replacement health insurance in Canada includes all replacement mid-tier plans with complete coverage.
• Best health insurance in Canada for families includes all guaranteed mid-tier plans with complete coverage, and shows the cost for a family with two adults and one child.
• Best health insurance in Canada for freelancers includes all guaranteed and underwritten mid-tier plans with complete coverage, supplemented by the “Best for Freelancers” badge.
• Best health insurance in Canada for kids includes all guaranteed and underwritten premium-tier plans with complete coverage for children.
• Best health insurance in Canada for retirees includes all replacement premium-tier plans with complete coverage for older adults.
• Best health insurance in Canada for seniors includes all guaranteed mid-tier plans for seniors with complete coverage (including pre-existing prescriptions), supplemented by the “Best for Seniors” badge.

About badges

Each product can earn up to seven badges based on a strict set of criteria:

• Pre-existing prescriptions: Covers medications the policyholder was already taking, and/or medications for pre-existing medical conditions.
• Great customer service: The provider has a Google Reviews rating of 4.0 or higher.
• Flexible coverage: Paramedical coverage does not include per-visit or per-profession limits.
• No wait for basic dental: No waiting period applies to claims for preventative dental checkups and services.
• No drug deductible: No deductible applies to prescription drug coverage.
• Great for freelancers: Overall, company premiums are lower than the industry average for comparable plans for adults and older adults in the same region, and the plan carries both the “flexible coverage” and “no drug deductible” badges.
• Great for seniors: Overall, company premiums are lower than the industry average for comparable plans for seniors in the same region, and the plan carries the “pre-existing prescriptions,” “great customer service,” and “no drug deductible” badges.

Badges do not influence product rankings.

About premiums and cost comparisons

The premiums shown in this article are based on publicly available rates as of May 2026.

To ensure fair and accurate comparisons, we compared each individual quote against the industry average for plans with the same coverage type, pricing tier, and eligibility requirements, within the same region and age group.

For example, the cost of a guaranteed, basic plan with complete coverage for an adult in Saskatchewan is compared only to the industry average for guaranteed, basic plans with complete coverage for adults in Saskatchewan.

About coverage and total coverage comparisons

Our analysis examines the coverage provided by each plan across eight benefit categories during the first year of enrollment: prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, paramedical services, mental health services, accidental dental services, ground ambulance transportation, and air ambulance transportation.

In coverage summaries, we may note whether prescription drug coverage applies to generic drugs, brand-name drugs, birth control, cannabis, smoking cessation treatments, and weight-management medications. This should not be taken to mean that other types of medications (such as fertility and erectile dysfunction treatments) are excluded from coverage.

Similarly, because dental definitions and coverage limits vary by provider, readers should always consult their policy documents to confirm the specific dental services covered. For reference, preventative dental care generally includes routine services such as exams and cleanings, while restorative care typically covers treatments like fillings and extractions. Major dental services may include crowns and bridges, and orthodontic services commonly include braces.

To get an accurate picture of each plan’s value, we calculated the net amount of coverage provided by subtracting out-of-pocket costs (including deductibles, co-insurance, and co-payments) from stated coverage limits.

For example, if a plan reimburses 80% of eligible prescription drug costs up to $500 in the first year, the policyholder would pay $125 out of pocket ($500 divided by 80%, then minus $500). Therefore, the net value of the prescription drug benefit would be $375 ($500 minus $125).

Whenever we refer to a plan’s total amount of coverage, or compare it to the industry average, we mean the combined first-year coverage for prescription drugs, dental, vision, paramedical, mental health, accidental dental, and ambulance services, after subtracting any applicable out-of-pocket costs.

Disclaimer

PolicyMe’s findings are based on unaltered data and are free from paid placements or sponsored influence. While we strive to keep our information current, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of third-party data. These rankings are intended as a general reference and should not be considered a substitute for personalized financial or health advice.

Read more: Health insurance rating and reviews methodology