When Canadians build retirement income plans, they typically project housing, food, travel, and discretionary spending. Healthcare costs — one of the largest and most unpredictable expenses in the later years of retirement — are often dramatically underestimated or ignored entirely. This is a mistake that can unravel an otherwise solid retirement plan.
OHIP 實際涵蓋的範圍——以及不涵蓋的項目
Canada's public health insurance covers doctor visits and hospital care — but it leaves significant gaps that become more expensive as you age.
| Category | OHIP 涵蓋？ | 典型自付費用 |
|---|---|---|
| 處方藥（65歲以下） | Partially | $100–$500+/month |
| 牙科護理 | No | $1,000–$5,000+/year |
| 視力護理 | Partially | $300–$800/year |
| 助聽器 | No | $3,000–$8,000/pair |
| Physiotherapy | Partially | $80–$150/session |
| 私人護理/居家護理 | No | $25–$50/hour |
| 長期護理院 | Partially | $3,000–$8,000+/month |
| 行動輔具及設備 | No | Varies widely |
退休期間的平均自付醫療費用
The federal Canadian Dental Care Plan has begun covering some dental costs for uninsured Canadians — but coverage is limited and the program is still being rolled out. For most retirees, dental remains one of the largest out-of-pocket expenses.
長期護理：最大的變數
Long-term care is the most significant and least predictable healthcare expense in retirement. The risk is real:
- Approximately 70% of people over 65 will need some form of long-term care during their lifetime
- The average length of a long-term care stay is 2–3 years, but many people require care for 5–10 years or more
- Ontario publicly funded long-term care facilities have long waitlists — private facilities are significantly more expensive
- Home care allows you to stay in your own home longer but can cost $2,000–$6,000/month for significant care needs
- If a couple requires care simultaneously, costs can be catastrophic without prior planning
規劃醫療費用
將醫療費用納入您的退休預算
Don't treat healthcare as an 'if needed' expense. Build a specific annual healthcare allocation into your retirement income plan from day one.
維持專屬醫療備用金
Carrie recommends setting aside a healthcare-specific reserve fund — typically $100,000–$200,000 for a couple — invested conservatively and earmarked for medical costs.
明確模擬長期護理情景
Carrie will stress-test your retirement plan with scenarios that include one or both partners requiring extended care — showing whether your plan can sustain these costs.
審查省級政府計劃
Each province has different drug, dental, and care programs. Understanding your entitlements is the first step in identifying coverage gaps.
考慮保險解決方案
長期護理保險, critical illness insurance, and extended health coverage can transfer significant healthcare risk to an insurance company.
醫療保健保險選項
- 長期護理保險: Pays a daily or monthly benefit if you're unable to perform basic daily activities. Premiums are lower when purchased in your 50s.
- 重大疾病保險: Pays a tax-free lump sum if you're diagnosed with a covered condition (cancer, heart attack, stroke). Can fund extraordinary healthcare costs.
- 擴展醫療保健及牙科: Group or individual plans that cover drugs, dental, vision, and paramedical services. Review whether your employer plan continues into retirement.
- Sun Life health solutions: As a Sun Life advisor, Carrie can review and recommend appropriate coverage for your specific healthcare risk profile.
Carrie's honest advice: Healthcare costs are the most commonly underplanned element of retirement I see. The families who navigate retirement most comfortably are those who built healthcare expenses into their plan from the start — not those who discovered the gap when they needed care. Let's make sure your plan is honest about these costs.
王羽恬
王羽恬是 Seven Lakes Financial Services Inc. 的創辦人，同時也是服務安大略省及薩斯喀徹溫省客戶的 Sun Life 顧問。她專精退休、遺產及投資規劃，以溫暖且個人化的方式為每位客戶提供服務，並能以英語、普通話及台語流暢溝通。