Newfoundland and Labrador offer residents public health care services via a provincial insurance plan. The official name of the insurance program is the Medical Care Plan or MCP, and its purpose is to cover the cost of physician services for the province’s residents.

The design of MCP is to create a comprehensive public insurance plan, but there are some services and procedures the health care plan doesn’t cover. To reduce out-of-pocket costs for your employees, supplementary insurance through group benefits may be necessary.

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Insurance Coverage

MCP coverage is available to all Newfoundland and Labrador residents. Eligibility requires that all participants are:

• Canadian citizens
• Residents of the province 
• Permanent residents in the province
• International workers and post-secondary students

Services the health plan covers include: 

• Expenses from doctors appointments, home visits, and hospital stays
• Surgery
• Diagnostic procedures
• Maternity care
• Radiology services
• Essential pre- and post-care for surgical procedures

The provincial health plan doesn’t cover ambulance services. Plan members will incur a fee for both ground and air ambulatory transportation. However, if the member receives income assistance, the Department of Human Resources, Labor and Employment may cover the charge. 

MCP Exclusions

The Medical Care Plan has a long list of services and treatments that it will not cover, requiring residents to handle the bill without the program’s assistance. These services include:

• Medical advice via telephone
• Prescription drugs and vaccines
• Cosmetic surgeries
• Services from optometrists, naturopaths, chiropractors, nurses, and other paramedical personnel
• Eye exams
• Non-essential examinations, such as annual physicals or exams for employment
• In-vitro fertilization
• Hospital consultations
• Diagnostic imaging services in a non-approved Canadian facility

The only prescription medications allowable under MCP are those patients receive in a hospital. However, Newfoundland and Labrador’s Prescription Drug Program (NLPDP) from the Department of Health and Community Services covers medication costs for those who cannot afford the out-of-pocket expense.

Dental health care is generally up to the resident to pay, not MCP. An exception to the rule is medically necessary oral surgeries. Procedures must take place in a hospital by a dentist or oral surgeon. Other exemptions are possible as long as the plan member qualifies for one of the following services:

• Children’s Dental Health Program for children under 13
• Income Support Program for adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17
• Adult Dental Program for adults who participate in the Foundation Plan

Supplementing Provincial Health Care Plans

Because the province’s health plan benefits don’t cover all health care expenses, many residents turn to their employer’s group benefits to supplement their coverage. Group benefits packages usually offer more than public health insurance plans, but they are customizable to accommodate the needs of the business’s workers and the company’s budget.

By offering group benefits packages with insurance products like extended health care, group disability insurance, critical illness insurance, or a health care spending account, you can offer comprehensive coverage to your employees. They won’t have to use their savings or borrow money to pay for services like:

• Prescription drugs
• Ambulance services
• Private rooms in a hospital
• Private nursing
• Out-of-province emergency care

Reduce Medical Costs With Group Benefits and Extended Health Care

Here at Group Enroll, we understand how frustrating and time-consuming it is to find an affordable insurance company that offers the products you need for your business’s group benefits. We make finding the right group benefits package for your business easy with our quick quote comparison tool. 

Begin your search for the best group insurance quote today by filling out our simple quote request form.