Scotiabank Health Insurance Review 2025

- ScotiaLife offers health, dental, and critical illness insurance exclusively for Scotiabank customers and their families.
- Affordable group rates make it a practical option for basic coverage, but benefit caps may be limiting for higher medical needs.
- ScotiaLife health insurance can be purchased on its own or with dental coverage, but dental coverage is not sold as a standalone product.
Overview of Scotiabank health insurance
Scotiabank offers personal health, dental, and critical illness insurance through its ScotiaLife program, available exclusively to existing customers and their spouses. These plans are designed to provide accessible, long-term protection for everyday health needs not covered by provincial plans.
The ScotiaLife insurance program offers affordable plan options and group rates for health insurance, plus lifetime coverage eligibility. You can choose health-only coverage or combine it with dental benefits, making it easier to tailor protection based on your personal or family needs.
Category: Bank
Types of coverage: Health and dental, critical illness
Customer experience score: 2.20/5
Industry reputation score: 3.90/5
We analyzed health insurance plans from nearly 20 different providers across Canada, evaluating each based on product variety, affordability, customer experience, and industry reputation. This included a breakdown of monthly premiums for 35- and 60-year-old policyholders, average cost per $100 of coverage, and what each plan includes. To assess customer experience, we reviewed feedback from platforms like Google, BBB, Insureye, Trustpilot, and Reviews.io. Lastly, we rated each company’s industry reputation using financial stability scores, employee satisfaction (via Glassdoor), and rankings from the Leger Corporate Reputation Study.
Key features of Scotiabank’s health insurance plans
Scotiabank’s health insurance, offered through ScotiaLife Health & Dental Insurance program, is designed to provide foundational health and dental benefits. Here are the key features of ScotiaLife health coverage:
Feature
|
Description
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---|---|
Customizable coverage
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Choose between health insurance and dental insurance, or health insurance alone.
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Online application process
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Apply for coverage and get a quote online.
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Coverage for vision care and professional services
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Health insurance plans include coverage for vision care and paramedical services, including chiropractic care, massages, and physiotherapy.
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Coverage for hospital services, medical services, and equipment expenses
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Hospital services such as semi-private rooms, and select medical services and equipment are covered.
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Emergency medical and travel assistance
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Coverage extends to out-of-province or out-of-country trips for medical emergencies that are not related to pre-existing conditions.
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Affordable group rates
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Low group rates as coverage is exclusive to Scotiabank customers or their spouses and dependent children
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Lifetime protection
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Coverage could last a lifetime, although emergency travel and medical assistance coverage ends at age 80
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Simple and fast reimbursement
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Drug cards are provided for convenience (not available in Quebec) and claim payments can be directly deposited to your bank account.
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Convenient payment options
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Set up pre-authorized payments through your credit card, or chequing or savings account.
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Learn more: What does health insurance cover?
Pros and cons of Scotiabank’s health insurance
As one of Canada’s leading financial institutions, Scotiabank provides customers with affordable, accessible health coverage tailored to everyday needs. However, while the program includes strong foundational benefits, it may not meet the needs of those seeking high reimbursement caps or extensive dental care.
Here’s a closer look at the advantages and drawbacks of ScotiaLife’s health insurance:
- Customers get affordable group pricing
- Coverage continues for life (except travel insurance)
- Most prescription drugs are covered
- Travel medical is included
- Convenient claims via drug card and direct deposits
- 30-day money back guarantee if you decide to cancel your plan
- Limited dental coverage
- Three- to twelve-month waiting period for some coverage
- Plans limited to Scotiabank customers, their spouses, and dependents
- $800 limit on paramedical services for all practitioners
- Limited drug coverage (e.g. fertility drugs and some speciality prescriptions are exempt)
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Types of Scotiabank’s health insurance
Scotiabank offers three types of health insurance: health coverage, dental insurance, and critical illness insurance. Here are a few key details to note about these products:
- Coverage bundling: ScotiaLife health insurance can be purchased alone, or with dental insurance. Dental insurance cannot be purchased on its own.
- Coverage levels: ScotiaLife only offers single-level plans for health and dental coverage
- Critical illness: There are two tiers of ScotiaLife critical illness coverage; standard, and enhanced
ScotiaLife health insurance
Scotialife health insurance may be a practical choice for coverage if you are an existing Scotiabank customer or a spouse of one, and you need basic-level coverage for you and your family members.
Coverage is available to Scotiabank customers who meet the following criteria:
- Canadian resident
- 18 to 64 years old
- Scotiabank customer, spouse or dependent child of a Scotiabank customer
- Covered by a provincial or territorial healthcare plan
Here’s what you’ll get from a ScotiaLife health insurance plan on its own, without dental coverage:
Health Coverage
|
Inclusions
|
---|---|
Prescription drugs
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Covers 75% of eligible prescription costs (up to $10,000/year); includes a drug card (not available in Quebec); lifetime max of $1M per person
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Vision care
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$150 every 2 years (with a 1-year waiting period); includes exams, glasses, contact lenses, prescription sunglasses, and laser eye surgery
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Paramedical services
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75% reimbursement, up to $25 per visit, 12 visits per practitioner per year; combined annual max of $800 across all providers
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Hospital services
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75% of semi-private room upgrade cost, up to $150 per day, max 60 days per year
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Emergency medical & travel assistance
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100% for up to 30 days per trip; lifetime max of $1M; ends at age 80; excludes recent pre-existing conditions (within 9 months)
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Medical services & equipment expenses
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75% coverage, up to a lifetime max of $20,000; includes ambulance, prosthetics, orthotics, nursing, and more
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ScotiaLife dental insurance
Scotiabank gives customers the option to add dental coverage to their health insurance plans, including reimbursements for oral exams, x-rays, teeth polishing, and more. The plan covers 75% of costs up to a maximum of $500 in the first year of coverage, then up to $750 in subsequent coverage years.
Here’s an overview of ScotiaLife’s dental insurance coverage:
Dental Coverage
|
Inclusions
|
---|---|
Oral exams
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1 recall exam every 9 months, 1 complete exam every 3 years, and emergency examinations
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X-rays
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1 set of bitewing x-rays every 18 months and 1 complete series of x-rays every 5 years
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Teeth polishing
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1 unit every 9 months
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Topical fluoride
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1 unit every 9 months
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Scaling and root planing
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4 units every year
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Fillings
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Coverage for amalgam, composite, acrylic or equivalent
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Extras
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Diagnostic tests and laboratory examinations, emergency or palliative services, and uncomplicated removal of teeth
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ScotiaLife critical illness coverage
ScotiaLife offers two types of critical illness plans: a standard plan and an enhanced plan. Both plans provide a lump-sum benefit that can be used any way you choose in the event of a critical illness that prevents you from working.
ScotiaLife critical illness coverage is offered to Scotiabank customers and spouses who are Canadian residents and meet the age requirements (18 to 64 for standard, 20 to 74 for enhanced). Acceptance is guaranteed for both plans if you meet the criteria, meaning you won’t need to complete a medical questionnaire or examination.
Here are the benefits for each plan type:
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Standard critical illness
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Enhanced critical illness
|
---|---|---|
Lump sum benefit
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$25,000, $50,000, $75,000, or $100,000
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$10,000, $25,000, $35,000 or $50,000 in protection, with $20,000 or $500,000 paid in the event of four life-altering conditions (paralysis, blindness, dismemberment or loss of independence)
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Covered illnesses
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Cancer, stroke, or heart attack
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Up to 22 illnesses
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Age requirements
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18 to 64
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20 to 74
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How much does Scotiabank health insurance cost?
The cost of your ScotiaLife health insurance plan will depend on factors such as your age, family size if you’re seeking coverage for you and your loved ones, and whether you choose to purchase health insurance alone, or health and dental coverage.
We looked at average premiums for policyholders ages 30 to 44 with both plans, and here’s what we found:
Plan type
|
Single coverage
|
Couple coverage
|
Rate per dependent child
|
---|---|---|---|
Health plan only
|
$40.45
|
$36.41
|
$22.85
|
Health & dental plan
|
$64.78
|
$58.30
|
$38.08
|
Health and dental insurance quotes for ScotiaLife customers vary with age. For example, the average cost of single coverage health insurance costs an average of $40.45 for an applicant between 30 to 44 years old, but the same plan type could cost approximately $61.86 for someone between 60 to 64, or $29.09 for individuals between 75 to 79.
Is Scotiabank health insurance worth it?
ScotiaLife health insurance may be a worthwhile option, especially if you’re already a Scotiabank customer seeking basic, reliable coverage at a lower cost. However, it may not be the best fit for those with complex or high-cost medical needs.
It may be worth it if you:
- Want affordable, long-term health insurance tied to your banking
- Prefer simple plan options with essential coverage included
- Value features like a drug card and lifetime eligibility
- Need dependable coverage for common prescriptions, paramedical care, and vision
It may not be worth it if you:
- Need extensive dental care, orthodontics, or major dental procedures
- Are looking for high reimbursement limits or full coverage for specialty drugs
- Aren’t a Scotiabank customer or want more flexible plan eligibility
- Prefer plans with shorter waiting periods or higher customization options
FAQ: Scotiabank health insurance
Yes, Scotiabank offers personal health, dental, and critical illness insurance through its ScotiaLife Financial program. These plans are exclusively available to Scotiabank customers, their spouses, and dependent children, and are designed to supplement provincial healthcare coverage with benefits such as prescription drug reimbursement, vision care, and more.
To cancel your ScotiaLife health insurance policy, contact ScotiaLife Financial by phone or speak with an advisor in-person. If you’re within the 30-day money-back guarantee period, you can cancel for a full refund. After that, cancellation may require written notice and could be subject to policy terms.
Yes, it’s legal and common to have more than one health insurance plan in Canada. This is known as coordination of benefits. For example, you may be covered under your ScotiaLife plan and also as a dependent on a partner’s workplace plan. Insurers coordinate to cover eligible expenses up to 100%, but not beyond.

Our mission is to empower Canadians to make informed financial decisions. To achieve this, we have an expert editorial team that includes licensed insurance advisors and financial planners. We prioritize the best interests of Canadian families and won't endorse any product, company or financial strategy that we believe isn't suitable. Our educational guides are crafted by in-house experts, like licensed life insurance advisors. Before publication, we subject our research and advice to scrutiny and comprehensive revisions for accuracy and completeness.
Our mission is to empower Canadians to make informed financial decisions. To achieve this, we have an expert editorial team that includes licensed insurance advisors and financial planners. We prioritize the best interests of Canadian families and won't endorse any product, company or financial strategy that we believe isn't suitable. Our educational guides are crafted by in-house experts, like licensed life insurance advisors. Before publication, we subject our research and advice to scrutiny and comprehensive revisions for accuracy and completeness.