Explore private surgery options in Canada

Yes, but it depends on what the surgery is, where it was done, and how you paid. In Canada, you can generally claim eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses (including many private surgery costs) for the federal Medical Expense Tax Credit (METC), and most provinces/territories have a parallel credit.

Learn more about claiming the METC here.

Please consult a tax professional before claiming any private surgery on your taxes.

You are able to pay for any surgery considered 'elective' (such as cosmetic procedures), or that is not insured (such as newer treatments for prostate BPH).

All 'medically necessary' surgeries are insured in Canada, which means you cannot pay privately to have that surgery in your home province.

As a result, some Canadians choose to travel out-of-province to have private surgery.

For example, a BC resident cannot pay out of pocket to see a private surgeon in BC. But if they choose, they may travel to Alberta or Quebec to pay for that surgery in one of those provinces.

For more information, please see How Does Private Surgery Work in Canada.

As an organization we seek to complement and help the public system thrive—universal access to healthcare should be preserved.

But currently, some 105,000 Canadians travel abroad every year because wait times are too long—many of whom don't even know private surgical options exist in Canada.

Surgency's goal is to educate and empower Canadians to navigate private pathways within Canada while reducing strain on the public system.

Surgency is free for patients, and funded by surgical providers.

The platform is designed to demystify private pathways and empower patients to independently choose which Canadian providers suit their specific needs.

Surgical providers who meet our listing criteria can pay a flat subscription fee to maintain their profile on the Surgency directory. Nearly seventy surgical providers participate, which enables them to serve patients and caregivers seeking private care within Canada. Surgency receives no commission, referral fee, or benefit tied to the volume or outcome of any consultation, procedure, or surgery.

Surgency is patient-first. Our goal is to make the process of finding a private surgeon as simple as possible. We do not rank, match, or recommend surgeons. You choose who to contact.

You can learn more in our Advertising Policy.

Surgical consultations are usually booked within days of requesting them. After this, surgery can be booked within weeks.