$100,000 meets the IRCC minimum and covers most single emergencies, but not a long admission. Niagara Health’s rate schedule effective 1 July 2026 charges non-residents $3,750 a day in an acute ward and $4,500 a day in ICU or CCU, before physician fees. Queensway Carleton’s schedule from April 2021 showed $2,990 and $6,000. On those figures, $100,000 is roughly three to five weeks in hospital.
IRCC’s officer instructions set “a minimum of $100,000 emergency coverage per applicant.” The word is minimum. Most super visa policies are sold at $100,000 because that is what the tables compare, not because it is the right amount for a 72-year-old with a heart condition.
What do Ontario hospitals charge visitors?
Thousands of dollars a day for the bed alone, with physicians, imaging, surgery and drugs billed on top. Two Ontario hospitals publish their non-resident schedules. Rates are per hospital and change yearly; these are illustrations, not a tariff.
| Service | Niagara Health, from 1 Jul 2026 | Queensway Carleton, from 1 Apr 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Acute ward, per day | $3,750 | $2,990 |
| Intensive or critical care, per day | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| Semi-private room, per day | — | $3,210 |
| Emergency department visit | $850 per visit | $930 per visit |
| Physician fees | Billed separately | Billed separately |
Niagara Health’s schedule states that its rates “include the hospital fee only and that physician fees are billed separately.” A surgeon, an anaesthetist and a daily attending physician add a second bill. OHIP does not cover visitors; Ontario’s removal of the OHIP waiting period in 2025 applies to new residents, not to parents on a super visa.
How far does $100,000 go?
Three to five weeks of ward care, or two to three weeks of intensive care, before physician and procedure charges. One serious cardiac or orthopaedic event can use most of it. The Hamilton family in the CP24 report faced $96,311 for a single admission in 2025.
| Scenario | Rough bed-days | Bed cost at Niagara 2026 rates | Headroom left in $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency visit, discharged same day | 0 | $850 plus physician | Nearly all |
| Pneumonia, 5 ward days | 5 | $18,750 plus physician and drugs | About $75,000 |
| Heart attack, 3 CCU days plus 5 ward days | 8 | $32,250 plus cardiology, stent, imaging | Perhaps $40,000 to $60,000 |
| Hip fracture, surgery, 10 ward days | 10 | $37,500 plus surgery, anaesthesia, rehabilitation | Possibly under $30,000 |
| Stroke, 7 ICU days plus 21 ward days | 28 | $110,250 plus physician | Exceeded on the bed alone |
Bed-days and add-ons are illustrative, not clinical estimates. The point is the shape: short events fit, long ones do not. The claims page explains how insurers coordinate directly with the hospital once the limit is in play.
What do $150,000 and $300,000 buy?
Headroom for the long admission, and in some wordings a higher repatriation sub-limit. The published comparison tables price only $100,000, so the uplift is not in our fact sheet. Ask for all three amounts at quote time; the difference is usually a percentage, not a multiple, because most claims are small.
| Coverage amount | Who it suits | What to confirm at quote time |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | Parents under 65 with no conditions; short visits | That repatriation is inside the limit and what its sub-limit is |
| $150,000 | Parents 65 to 75; stable conditions; a full-year stay | The premium uplift over $100,000 for the parent’s exact age |
| $300,000 | Parents over 75; heart, lung or kidney conditions; home country far from Canada | Uplift, repatriation and air ambulance limits, any ICU sub-limit |
GMS’s policy wording caps repatriation by common carrier without a medical attendant at $5,000, including one family member’s one-way fare. An air ambulance to South Asia is a different order of cost. For a parent whose home is far away, the repatriation and air ambulance limits can matter more than the headline number.
Can a deductible pay for the higher limit?
Often, yes. A $500 deductible cuts the premium by roughly 15 per cent and $5,000 by roughly 35 per cent at Manulife; 21st Century offers up to 40 per cent and Travelance up to 45 per cent, per the PolicyAdvisor tables. The family absorbs the clinic visit and the insurer absorbs the ICU week.
| Parent | Starting point | Alternative to price |
|---|---|---|
| 65, no conditions | $100,000, $0 deductible | $150,000 with $500 deductible |
| 72, hypertension, stable | $100,000, $0 deductible | $300,000 with $1,000 deductible |
| 78, heart condition, stable | $100,000, $0 deductible | $300,000 with $2,500 deductible; compare insurers that still cover the condition at 78 |
The deductibles page lists each insurer’s deductible options. The heart conditions page covers which insurers insure a cardiac history at each age. Whatever amount you choose, the IRCC upload only needs to show $100,000 or more; the cost page has the October 2026 grid at that level.
Questions people ask
What does a day in an Ontario hospital cost a visitor?
Niagara Health's schedule effective 1 July 2026 charges non-residents $3,750 a day in an acute ward, $4,500 a day in ICU or CCU, and $850 per emergency visit, with physician fees billed separately. Queensway Carleton's April 2021 schedule showed $2,990 for a ward, $6,000 for intensive care and $930 per emergency visit. Rates vary by hospital and year.
How long does $100,000 last?
About 27 to 33 ward days at the two published Ontario schedules, or 17 to 22 intensive care days, before physician, imaging, surgery and drug charges. A heart attack with a stent, a week in CCU and a week on the ward can approach the limit. A hip fracture with surgery and rehabilitation can exceed it.
Does the $100,000 include repatriation?
Usually yes, as a benefit inside the limit, sometimes with its own sub-limit. GMS caps repatriation by common carrier without a medical attendant at $5,000. Air ambulance to India or the Philippines can cost far more than that, and some wordings give it a separate, higher limit. Read the benefit schedule.
How much more does $150,000 or $300,000 cost?
The published comparison tables are at $100,000, so the uplift is not in our fact sheet. It is typically a modest percentage rather than a multiple, because most claims are small. Ask for the three amounts side by side at quote time and compare the difference with the parent's age and history.
Will a higher limit help my IRCC application?
No. IRCC checks for the $100,000 minimum per applicant and nothing above it. The higher limit is for the family's protection, not the officer's. The $96,311 Hamilton bill reported by CP24 in April 2025 shows how close a single admission can come to the minimum.
Is a deductible a way to afford a higher limit?
Often. A $500 deductible cuts the premium by roughly 15 per cent and $5,000 by roughly 35 per cent at Manulife; 21st Century offers up to 40 per cent and Travelance up to 45 per cent. Trading a higher deductible for a higher limit protects against the catastrophic bill while the family absorbs the small one.
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Sources
- Niagara Health — Rate schedule for non-residents and uninsured patients, effective 1 July 2026
- Queensway Carleton Hospital — Fees for patients without provincial or federal health insurance (effective 1 April 2021)
- CP24 — Ontario family hit with $96,311 hospital bill after visiting mother hospitalized
- IRCC — Super visa: officer instructions ($100,000 minimum per applicant)
- GMS — Immigrants and Visitors to Canada policy wording ($5,000 common-carrier repatriation)
- PolicyAdvisor — Super visa insurance cost tables (deductible savings)