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Parents' guide · Updated October 2026

Medical insurance for parents in Canada: which cover your parents need, and for how long

Visiting, on a Super Visa, or newly landed: each needs different insurance. Start with your parent's situation.

Most families who call about their parents ask the same first question: "Doesn't OHIP cover them?" It doesn't, unless they have become permanent residents and their health card has started. Until then, one hospital stay can cost more than several years of insurance. The right policy depends on why your parent is here and how long they will stay.

By Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA Updated
Find the right cover Compare the three types

In short

Parents who are visiting Canada, on a visitor visa, eTA or Super Visa, are not covered by any provincial health plan and need private emergency medical insurance. A Super Visa needs at least $100,000 for one year. Parents who have landed as permanent residents qualify for provincial coverage, but may wait: about three months in British Columbia, up to three months in Saskatchewan, and little or no wait in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia once accepted. Cover that gap with new immigrant insurance.

Which insurance does my parent need?

Answer three questions.

A guide only. Provincial start dates depend on the application being accepted; check with the health ministry.

Visitors, Super Visa and new immigrant insurance compared

Visitors insuranceSuper Visa insuranceNew immigrant insurance
ForParents visiting on a visitor visa or eTAParents and grandparents on a Super VisaParents who landed as permanent residents
How longThe length of the visitAt least 365 days from entryUntil the health card coverage starts
Minimum coverageNone required; $100,000+ recommended$100,000 (IRCC)None required
Pre-existing conditionsOptional, if stableOptional, if stableOptional, if stable
Refund if plans changeUnused days, if no claimFull refund if the visa is refusedUsually unused days once the health card starts, if no claim
Get a quoteVisitors quoteSuper Visa quoteNew immigrant guide

When provincial coverage starts for parents who immigrate

For permanent residents arriving from outside Canada, from each province's health ministry, checked October 2026.

ProvinceCoverage startsWorth knowing
Ontario (OHIP)No waiting period once eligibleMust apply in person and meet the residency test; insure until approved
British Columbia (MSP)Rest of the arrival month + 2 monthsArrive Jan 15 → covered Apr 1
Alberta (AHCIP)From the date residency is establishedApply within 3 months of arriving
SaskatchewanOn or before the first day of the third monthArrive Jan 15 → covered by Apr 1 at the latest
ManitobaFrom the date of arrivalThe 3-month wait applies only to moves from another province
New BrunswickFrom the first day of arrival, if approvedThe Director must accept permanent residence; extra documents may be asked
Nova Scotia (MSI)Usually from the date residency startsThe 3-month wait applies only to moves from another province
 Visiting parents, including Super Visa holders, never qualify for provincial coverage.

What an uninsured hospital stay costs

Hospitals bill visitors as non-residents. Ontario's 2026–27 rate between provinces for a day in a large Toronto hospital is over $2,200, and many hospitals charge non-residents more. Cambridge Memorial Hospital publishes non-resident rates of $3,750 a day on a ward and $5,750 in intensive care; Queensway Carleton in Ottawa charges about $4,005 for a ward day.

A heart attack or stroke usually means several days in hospital plus tests and specialists, so a bill can reach $50,000 or more. A year of insurance for a healthy parent in their 60s costs a few thousand dollars.

Before you buy

Start date
The day your parent arrives, not later
Coverage
$100,000 minimum; more for parents over 70
Conditions
Check the stability period against the last medicine change
Deductible
Usually applies to each claim
Waiting period
Buying after arrival adds a 48-hour to 15-day wait for sickness

Guides for parents' insurance

Super Visa insurance

The main guide: rules, prices and insurers.

Parents over 70

Age limits and stability rules by insurer.

Heart conditions

What "stable" means and which plans cover it.

Diabetes

Covering parents with diabetes on a Super Visa.

Monthly payments

Deposits and setup fees by insurer.

Cost by age

2026 prices and a cost planner.

New immigrants

Insurance until the health card starts.

Super Visa requirements

What IRCC asks for, with a policy checker.

Buy online from leading insurers

Press Buy online to go to the insurer's secure page, or compare them all in one quote first.

Questions about insuring parents

Are visiting parents covered by OHIP or other provincial plans?

No. Parents visiting on a visitor visa, an eTA or a Super Visa are not residents, so no provincial plan covers them. Hospital and doctor bills are charged at non-resident rates.

Some hospitals bill non-residents well above the provincial rate. Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa, for example, charges non-residents three times its rate: about $4,005 for a ward day.

Which insurance does my parent need?

It depends on their status: visitors insurance for a regular visit, Super Visa insurance for a Super Visa, and new immigrant insurance for parents who have landed as permanent residents and are waiting for a health card.

Use the situation finder. A parent who already has a provincial health card and is travelling outside the province needs travel insurance instead.

What insurance does the Super Visa require?

At least $100,000 of emergency medical coverage, valid for at least one year from the date of entry, from a Canadian insurer or an IRCC-approved foreign insurer, covering health care, hospitalization and repatriation.

It can be paid in full or in instalments with a deposit. See Super Visa insurance requirements.

My parents became permanent residents. Do they still need private insurance?

Only until their provincial coverage starts. In British Columbia that is about three months; in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba and Nova Scotia coverage can start from arrival once the application is accepted.

Buy new immigrant insurance from the landing date to the day the health card coverage starts, plus a small buffer for processing.

Can parents with diabetes or heart conditions get covered?

Yes, if the condition has been stable for the period the plan requires, usually 90 to 180 days, and the plan includes pre-existing cover.

See Super Visa insurance for parents with heart conditions and with diabetes.

Is there an age limit for parents?

Each plan has its own. Many stop at 79 or 85, some accept applicants up to 89, and a few have no upper limit.

See insurance for parents over 70 for a plan matcher.

How much does medical insurance for parents cost?

For a year of Super Visa cover at $100,000, roughly $1,000–$1,600 under 50, $1,600–$2,400 at 65–69 and $2,600–$4,300 at 70–74, before pre-existing cover.

Prices depend on age, health, deductible and coverage. See the cost guide or get live prices in the quote form.

Can I pay monthly?

Yes, on plans that offer it. IRCC accepts instalments with a deposit for the Super Visa.

See Super Visa monthly payment plans.

Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA

Written by Pankaj Bhatia, CHS, PFA

Insure In Canada Inc. · Licensed in Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

Pankaj has insured visiting and newly landed parents for 11 years. He helps families pick the right type of cover first, then the plan, and stays on hand for claims and refunds.

Call 647-640-2222 · WhatsApp · About Pankaj

Sources and related pages

Provincial rules change; confirm your parent's start date with the health ministry. Policy wordings govern coverage. Not immigration or legal advice.