Visitors Insurance

Hospital, ER and Ambulance Costs in Canada
Without Insurance (2026)

Published September 15, 2026

8 min read

By EGE Insurance Advisory Team, licensed by FSRA Ontario

Quick Answer

A visitor without Canadian health coverage pays $794 to $1,635 just to be seen in an emergency room, $3,058 to $7,293 for each day in a hospital ward, and up to $13,110 a day in intensive care, based on 2026 rates published in Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. An ambulance adds $240 in Ontario or $848 in BC. Doctors bill separately on top of every one of these figures, and hospitals usually want payment or a deposit up front.

$1,015

BC emergency visit for a non-resident, April 2026 rate

$7,293

Quebec hospital rate per day for non-residents

$13,110

BC intensive care per day for non-residents

$240

Ontario ambulance trip for a non-resident

Table of Contents

What an Emergency Costs a Visitor, Province by Province
What a Four-Day Admission Actually Adds Up To
Why Visitors Pay More Than Canadians Do
What the Hospital Rate Does Not Include
Ambulance Bills Visitors Do Not Expect
How Visitors Insurance Handles These Bills
Where These Numbers Come From
Frequently Asked Questions

1 What an Emergency Costs a Visitor, Province by Province

Canadian residents with a provincial health card pay nothing at the hospital. Anyone without that coverage, a visiting parent, a tourist, a newly arrived family member, is billed directly, and non-residents of Canada are billed at a separate, higher rate. These are the published 2026 rates from three provinces, read at the source in September 2026.

Service	Ontario (Scarborough Health Network, Toronto)	British Columbia (same rate province-wide)	Quebec (Montreal region)
Emergency room visit	$794 facility fee	$1,015, basic tests included	$1,635 minimum
Hospital ward, per day	$3,058	$4,690	$7,293 (single daily rate)
Intensive care, per day	$7,814	$13,110	Not listed separately
Ground ambulance	$240 per trip	$848 per trip	Not in this source
Doctors' fees	Billed separately	Billed separately	Billed separately
Rates in effect	Current published rates	Since April 1, 2026	Since April 1, 2026

Ontario hospitals each set their own rates for uninsured patients, so the Ontario column is one Toronto hospital's schedule. In BC, the health authorities and the Ministry of Health agreed on one non-resident rate for the whole province. Quebec's figures are those published for the Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal region, and other Quebec institutions can differ. Every source is linked at the end of this page.

2 What a Four-Day Admission Actually Adds Up To

Take a common scenario for a visiting parent: chest pain, an ambulance to the nearest hospital, an emergency assessment, one night in intensive care and three more days on a ward. Using only the published rates above:

	Ontario	British Columbia	Quebec
Ambulance	$240	$848	Not included
Emergency visit	$794	$1,015	$1,635
1 day intensive care	$7,814	$13,110	$7,293 (daily rate)
3 days on a ward	$9,174	$14,070	$21,879
Total before doctors' bills	$18,022	$29,043	$30,807

These totals are the hospital's charges only. Physicians bill separately, and imaging, medication and any surgery come on top: in BC, a CT scan for a non-resident is $2,215, an MRI $2,445, and the first two hours of inpatient surgery $3,030. A serious illness or an operation turns a four-day stay into a bill in the tens of thousands.

It is also why coverage amounts matter. At BC's non-resident rate, seven days in intensive care cost $91,770 before a single doctor's bill, which is nearly all of the $100,000 minimum a Super Visa policy has to carry.

This example is arithmetic on the published rates for illustration. Real bills depend on the hospital, the diagnosis and every test and treatment given.

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3 Why Visitors Pay More Than Canadians Do

Provinces charge three different groups three different ways: residents with a provincial card pay nothing, uninsured Canadians pay one rate, and non-residents of Canada pay the highest. BC's 2026 schedule shows the gap clearly:

	Uninsured Canadian resident	Non-resident of Canada
Hospital ward, per day	$2,134 at most BC hospitals	$4,690
Emergency visit	$484	$1,015
CT scan	$844	$2,215

No provincial plan pays anything toward a non-resident's care, so the hospital recovers the full cost from the patient, and it usually wants that money before or at the time of treatment. Scarborough Health Network requires prepayment from uninsured and out-of-country patients, and Quebec hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit.

Canadians travelling from another province are a separate case: their home plan normally pays the hospital, but not the ambulance. Our travel insurance within Canada guide covers that. Newly arrived permanent residents waiting for their provincial card are covered in our provincial health waiting period guide.

4 What the Hospital Rate Does Not Include

Doctors' fees. Every hospital above bills physician care separately. Our doctor visit cost guide shows what an uninsured assessment costs on its own.
Imaging and tests. BC's emergency rate includes the basic diagnostics but not CT or MRI; Scarborough's emergency rate is a facility fee only, with diagnostics extra.
Surgery. Quebec lists day surgery at $7,743.63 for non-residents; BC charges $3,030 for the first two hours of inpatient surgery.
Medication and supplies. Take-home supplies and prescriptions are charged in addition to the visit.

5 Ambulance Bills Visitors Do Not Expect

Ambulance fees are set by each province and are separate from the hospital bill.

Ontario: $240 per trip. The province charges $240 when the patient does not have a valid OHIP card or is not a resident of Ontario or Canada. Ontario residents with OHIP pay a $45 co-payment for a medically necessary trip.
British Columbia: $848 per ground trip. Anyone outside BC's Medical Services Plan, including visitors from other countries, pays $848. Air ambulance is billed at $4,394 per hour by helicopter or $6.94 per kilometre by plane.
Air ambulance adds up fastest. A two-hour helicopter transfer in BC is $8,788 before the hospital bill begins.

6 How Visitors Insurance Handles These Bills

Visitors insurance exists to take these exact costs off the family. An emergency medical plan pays the hospital, the doctors and the ambulance for a covered emergency, up to the policy limit you choose.

Call the insurer's assistance line first when you can. Many plans can arrange payment with the hospital directly, and some reduce what they pay if you do not call before treatment when it was possible to.
Choose a limit that fits these numbers. A few days in intensive care can use most of $100,000, which is why many families choose more than the minimum.
Understand what is excluded. Pre-existing conditions that are not stable, and anything in a waiting period, may not be covered; see our visitors insurance and pre-existing conditions guide.
Know what kind of plan you bought. Our emergency-only vs comprehensive visitors insurance guide explains the difference.

For plan options, prices and how coverage works in practice, see our visitors to Canada insurance guide, or compare plans from 15+ Canadian insurers on our quote form.

7 Where These Numbers Come From

Every figure on this page was read at the official source in September 2026. Rates change, usually every April, so check the source before relying on a number.

Scarborough Health Network, Hospital Fees: rates for uninsured and out-of-country patients.
Humber River Health, Ambulance Fees: Ontario ambulance fees, revised June 2026.
Interior Health, Acute Care Billing schedule: BC non-resident rates, effective April 1, 2026.
BC Emergency Health Services, Ambulance Fees: BC ambulance fees for people outside BC's Medical Services Plan.
Sante Quebec, Centre-Sud-de-l'Ile-de-Montreal: fees for people not insured by RAMQ, effective April 1, 2026.

Summary: Hospital and ER Costs

Key Takeaways

An ER visit costs a visitor $794 to $1,635 in the provinces checked, before doctors
A hospital ward costs $3,058 to $7,293 a day for non-residents
Intensive care reaches $13,110 a day at BC's non-resident rate
Ambulance: $240 in Ontario, $848 in BC for non-residents
Doctors bill separately, and hospitals usually want payment or a deposit up front
Seven ICU days in BC cost $91,770, close to a $100,000 policy limit
Non-residents pay roughly double the rate uninsured Canadians pay in BC

8 Frequently Asked Questions

How much does an emergency room visit cost in Canada without insurance?

For a visitor from outside Canada, the published 2026 rates for an emergency room visit are $794 at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto (facility fee only), $1,015 anywhere in British Columbia (including basic tests but not CT or MRI), and a minimum of $1,635 in Montreal. Doctors' fees are billed separately on top of these amounts.

How much does a hospital stay cost per day in Canada for a visitor?

A day on a hospital ward costs a non-resident of Canada $3,058 at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto, $4,690 in British Columbia, and $7,293 in Montreal under 2026 rates. These daily rates do not include doctors' fees, imaging, surgery or medication.

How much does intensive care cost in Canada for non-residents?

Intensive care costs a non-resident of Canada $7,814 a day at Scarborough Health Network in Toronto and $13,110 a day in British Columbia under 2026 rates, before doctors' fees. At BC's rate, seven days in intensive care cost $91,770.

How much does an ambulance cost in Canada for visitors?

In Ontario, the province charges $240 per ambulance trip to anyone who does not have a valid OHIP card or is not a resident of Ontario or Canada. In British Columbia, a ground ambulance costs $848 per trip for anyone outside BC's Medical Services Plan, and air ambulance is billed at $4,394 per hour by helicopter or $6.94 per kilometre by plane.

Are doctors' fees included in the hospital bill in Canada?

No. Hospitals bill their own facility charges, such as the emergency visit fee and the daily room rate, and physicians bill separately for their care. A visitor should expect at least two bills for the same emergency, plus separate charges for imaging such as CT or MRI in most cases.

Do visitors have to pay upfront at a Canadian hospital?

Often, yes. Hospitals commonly ask uninsured and out-of-country patients for prepayment or a deposit before or at the time of treatment. Scarborough Health Network requires prepayment, and Quebec hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit. Visitors insurance can often arrange payment with the hospital directly if the insurer's assistance line is called first.

Why are hospital rates higher for non-residents of Canada?

No provincial health plan pays anything toward a non-resident's care, so hospitals charge non-residents a separate, higher rate. In British Columbia's 2026 schedule, a ward day costs an uninsured Canadian resident $2,134 at most hospitals but a non-resident of Canada $4,690, and an emergency visit costs $484 versus $1,015.

Is $100,000 of visitors insurance enough in Canada?

It covers most emergencies, but serious ones use it quickly. Seven days of intensive care at British Columbia's 2026 non-resident rate cost $91,770 before doctors' fees, imaging or surgery. $100,000 is the minimum a Super Visa policy must carry; many visiting families choose a higher limit.

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