In Canada, every province runs its own. I am most familiar with Ontario's plan. In Ontario there are no deductibles and no co-pays. Sick? you go. Need a check-up? You go. having a baby? have a baby, and not worry about a stack of bills coming later. Fees are set by OHIP, possibly varying by cost of living where a provider is located. Doctors willing to work in remote, northern or rural areas may get a premium.
Some services are not covered, such as circumcisions. You pay extra for that. (There is a fee schedule posted at the entrance of a hospital with a list of non-covered treatments and their fees.) When I was a kid, I remember that "ward' coverage meant you shared a room with three other people, and my dad's plan at work covered the upgrade to "semi-private." I think privacy laws have changed that, though, so people get private rooms. Ontario used to have extra-billing, as in a doctor could charge above the set rate, but that changed in the 80's. The doctors went on strike in 92 or 93 for a brief time to raise the overall fee structure.
My chiropractor used to get a certain amount from OHIP and would charge a little more per visit.
Cosmetic surgery, unless it is reconstruction following an accident or sickness, is not covered under OHIP. You pay extra for that. Dermatology is covered, as in screenings for cancer or treatment for acne. A procedure such as microdermabrasion or chemical peels would not be covered. Patients pay extra for what is not covered.
I believe Alberta has private-pay urgent care clinics in addition to the regular clinics and hospitals. Having money will not bump you in priority for, say, a heart transplant but if the regular clinic is busy and you want the convenience of having something routine like a strep test done right away, that's what those clinics are for. I have no experience with those because Ontario did not have them and I was never sick on vacation to Alberta. The different provinces offer reciprocity, so if I was sick in Alberta, though I paid into OHIP, I could receive treatment there in the regular stream. I do not know how the private pay clinics work.
As for choice, one generally goes to a specialist recommended by their primary physician, like here. Sometimes that specialist is in another province, or even in another country. You may run into Canadians at the Mayo Clinic, for example, and it would be covered if there were no in-province options. It is similar to running into Americans at Toronto's Sick Kids' Hospital.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/10/2019 11:44PM by heartlandcanuck.