Health & Medical Coverage in Nunavut

Medically necessary physician and hospital services in Nunavut are covered by the publicly funded Nunavut Health Care Plan, administered by the Department of Health. Territorial coverage operates within the national framework of the Canada Health Act, which conditions federal health transfers on principles such as universality, portability, and public administration of insured services.

The territorial statutes behind the plan — legislation governing medical care and hospital and health services administration — define what counts as an insured service and how residents register for coverage. This public layer is the base on top of which all other coverage is arranged.

The Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, delivered federally through Indigenous Services Canada, provides eligible First Nations and Inuit with coverage for a defined range of health benefits that public plans generally do not fully cover — including prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, medical supplies, and medical transportation.

Eligibility as an Inuk is tied to recognition under an Inuit land-claim agreement. For beneficiaries of the Nunavut Agreement living in Nunavut, medical-transportation services are coordinated by the Government of Nunavut rather than directly by the federal program. Because a large majority of Nunavummiut are Inuit, NIHB is a central pillar of health coverage in the territory rather than a niche program.

Residents who are not eligible for NIHB, and those who want coverage beyond it, rely on supplementary (extended) health insurance. This is frequently provided through employer group plans and covers services and cost-sharing that the public plan does not, such as certain prescription drugs, dental, and vision care. Supplementary health insurance is regulated as insurance under the territorial framework, in contrast to the public plan and NIHB, which are government programs rather than insurance contracts.