There IS "free" (publicly funded via our provincial taxes) health care in Canada, covering doctor, hospital & specialist visits, surgeries, etc etc. It is available to permanent residents and citizens. If you're an immigrant, there is a waiting period (3 months I believe.)
I believe if you're in Canada on a work permit and have a contract for full time employment, you also qualify for health care after a waiting period but I'm not sure exactly how that works.
Most folks here have extra private insurance through and supplemented by their workplaces to cover "extra" things like prescription medications, dentist, eye care, physiotherapy, etc. for themselves and their dependents.
As far as actual cost - I really have no idea because it comes out of our taxes, so depending on what you make, you pay out a decent chunk of tax and from that, the government puts it back into the health care system whether you use it or not. If you make more money, you pay more tax. Private insurance - depends on the insurance company and what your workplace chips in towards that, and the province you work in.
Last edited by surveytheworld; 12th Jun 2012 at 21:18.