Sun Life Health and Dental Insurance Review (Updated 2023)

James James updated on 4 January 2023

Did you know that around 31% of health spending in Canada is privately financed? That means that a third of health expenses must either be paid for personally or covered by a private health insurance policy.

In this review we will lay out the advantages and disadvantages of owning a Sun Life health insurance policy, we take you through what it covers, what add-ons there are and how to apply for Sun Life health insurance.

Our Sun Life health insurance review: comprehensive online coverage

Sun Life offers three health insurance plans, all with differing levels of coverage which allows you to find a plan that is tailored to your specific health needs. Sun Life has a comprehensive online portal and an app that allows you hands-on access to your claims and benefits information even while on the go.

Sun Life personal health insurance is a sensible choice if you do not have health benefits through your employer, you are losing your group coverage, or if you would like additional benefits not offered by your employer’s or province’s health and drug coverage. Note that you must have provincial or territorial health and drug coverage to apply for personal health insurance.

Pros

  • Submit claim online or via app
  • Quick and easy online quote
  • Option of having semi-private hospital room with all plans
  • Reimbursement for paramedical services

Cons

  • Emergency travel medical, vision not included in Basic plan
  • Each family member must have the same plan

Before signing up for a health insurance plan with Sun Life, compare rates and coverage offerings from the best health and dental plans using our comparison tool.

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What is the cost of Sun Life health insurance?

A comprehensive Sun Life private health insurance policy including dental for a 40-year-old single, non-smoker woman in Ontario would cost $124.94 per month.

Everyone’s quote will be different. Sun Life will weigh a number of factors to determine your premium such as:

  • age
  • gender
  • adding a medication or dental benefit
  • the number of lives on your plan (individual, family, etc.)
  • smoker status

To make sure you are getting the best plan for the best price, you must first establish what you want from your health insurance policy. Take a look at the table below to see some of the variables affecting pricing.

Non-smoker, Ontario*Basic PlanStandard PlanEnhanced Plan
30-year-old man
$61.32 / month$78.17 / month$113.37 / month
50-year-old man
$70.93/ month489.98 / month$119.91 / month
30-year-old woman
$61.32 / month$78.17 / month$113.37 / month
50-year-old woman
$70.93 / month$89.98 / month$119.91/ month
Sun Life healthcare costs

*this assumes that the purchaser is covered by the Ontario provincial health plan (OHIP)

To make sure you are getting the best plan for the best price, you must first establish what you want from your health insurance policy.

The price of health insurance varies greatly between insurers. Your health history, age, the coverage options offered, your province, and more affect pricing. Use our comparison tool to get personalized health insurance quotes, all anonymously.

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What does Sun Life health insurance cover?

Sun Life personal health insurance coverage pays for the expenses not covered by your provincial healthcare. Some expenses that Sun Life covers include:g:

  • Prescription drugs
  • Dental care
  • Supplemental health care
  • Paramedical expense
TreatmentBasicStandardEnhanced
Prescription Drugs
60% reimbursement 70% reimbursement 80% reimbursement
Dental Coverage (a 3-month to 2-year waiting period applies depending on the plan)
60% reimbursement 70% reimbursement80% reimbursement
Health Care
60% reimbursement100% reimbursement100% reimbursement
Paramedical Expenses
60% reimbursement100% reimbursement100% reimbursement
Vision (1-year waiting period applies)
No coverage 100% reimbursement100% reimbursement
Semi-Private Hospital Room
OptionalOptionalOptional
Emergency Travel Medical
No coverageFor the first 60 days of a trip with a $1 million lifetime maximum on emergency travel medical claimsFor the first 60 days of a trip with a $1 million lifetime maximum on emergency travel medical claims
Personal health insurance sun life

To learn more, consult Sun Life’s brochures below:

What types of health insurance does Sun Life offer?

Sun Life offers four different types of coverage for health, life and dental. Take a look at the table below to help decide which policies would most suit your needs. These can be bundled with a health insurance policy or bought separately.

CoverageWhat they protect
Dental insurance
This extends coverage to dental care
Disability insurance
This provides covers loss of income if you are temporarily unable to work
Critical illness insurance
This covers enhanced medical costs in case of serious illness
Long-term care insurance
This covers the costs of care if you are left permanently unable to return to work
Sun Life Canada health insurance

What extras does Sun Life health insurance offer?

Sun Life allows you to purchase extras to add to your health insurance in order to increase your coverage, either for more serious health problems, like medical services and equipment coverage or for things that are usually excluded, like travel insurance.

This comprehensive policy is called the Extended Health Care (EHC) & Dental plan.

Extra coverageWhat it covers
Medi-passport
Covers medical costs when outside your province
Hospital care
Pay day-to-day expenses during hospital stays
Medical services and equipment
Private nursing costs and medical equipment like crutches
Prescription drugs
Raises the benefit level covering the cost of prescribed drugs
Paramedical services
Covers healthcare professionals usually excluded such as chiropractors and podiatrists

Sun Life health insurance Canada

Interested in seeing what extras other insurance providers offer?

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What does Sun Life dental insurance cover?

While Canada’s public system covers lots of healthcare needs, access to dental care is not included. Dental care is important to one’s overall health. Since it can be a major expense, too many people skip preventive treatment. That is a mistake, as regular preventive care helps prevent gum disease, which is linked to conditions like heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Additionally, it can help you to detect other medical complications early.

A supplemental insurance plan can help, here is what Sun Life offers.

When you sign up for a health insurance plan with Sun Life, you choose between one of three plans and you can get partial or full coverage for all types of dental procedures. It is important to know the difference in the dental coverage you can choose between each plan.

The Basic plan will cover preventative treatment such as:

  • dental exams and diagnosis
  • tests, x-rays
  • lab exams
  • fillings
  • scaling
  • extractions

With the Standard plan, you will get more of your preventive dental-care expenses reimbursed than the Basic plan. If you opt for dental with the Enhanced plan, it will cover preventative treatment, restorative treatment, and orthodontics (braces).

TreatmentBasicStandardEnhanced
Dental Care
60% coverage for preventive dental care 70% coverage for preventive dental care 80% for preventive dental care costs
50% coverage for major restorative dental care
60% coverage for orthodontic services
Sun Life dental coverage

How to get Sun Life health insurance?

You can get a Sun Life health insurance quote by heading to their website, choosing the plan that suits you best and giving your age, address and choosing the amount of coverage that you need.

Sun Life financial health insurance signup steps graphic.

You can also request a Sun Life personal health insurance quote through an insurance broker. You can find your closes broker by using the postcode locator on the Sun Life website. If you want to discuss options with a representative before committing you can call a representative directly on the Sun Life health insurance contact number: 1-877-SUN-LIFE.

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Sun Life health insurance login

sun life financial personal health insurance.

You can access your personal account on the Sun Life website by clicking the Log On button on the top right of the homepage. You will need your username and password. Once you have unlocked your account you will be able to manage your claims, see upcoming prescriptions and alter your drug plans.

Managing your account online is a great way to stay on top of your health insurance rather than waiting for monthly postal updates. It allows you to stay flexible and alter your plan as your life circumstances change. Managing your prescriptions online allows you to change which pharmacy you pick up from if you are on the move.

Sun Life health insurance app

The Sun Life mobile app is available to download from the Sun Life website or from your phone's app store. The app allows you to manage your claims and receive benefits on the go.

We have listed the services the app provides in the table below.

App serviceHow it works
Submit claims or forms
Using your phone camera
Drug costs
Access info and pricing
Speak to advisor
Via social media
Secure access
Fingerprint technology keeps your account safe
Keep track
Keep track of your balances, past claims and upcoming benefits

Sun Life insurance health

Sun Life health insurance customer service

When you are using the app you are able to speak to an advisor immediately. Alternatively, you can call the Sun LIfe health insurance contact number at 1-877-SUN-LIFE. Representatives are available between Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm ET.

You can also contact them by email at: [email protected]

How to make claim with Sun Life health insurance?

You can make a claim online by signing in to your health insurance account and clicking on the Submit A Claim button. You will need to have your medical documents ready. If you are using the app you can take photos of your documents in order to submit them easily.

Alternatively, if you prefer to have hard copies of your documentation, you can download the appropriate form below, fill it out and mail it to the following address.

All provinces (apart from Québec)
Sun Life Assurance Company
of Canada
PO Box 2010 Stn Waterloo
Waterloo ON N2J 0A6

Québec
Sun Life Assurance Company
of Canada
PO Box 11658 Stn CV
Montreal QC H3C 6C1

How to cancel health insurance Sun Life?

You can cancel your health insurance with Sun Life through the website, once you have logged in to your personal account. You can also call the Sun Life health insurance phone number and speak to a representative directly at 1-877-786-5433.

Alternatively, you can fill out the form below and mail it to the following address.

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
227 King Street South,
P.O. Box 1601 Stn Waterloo
Waterloo ON N2J 4C5,
Fax: 1-866-487-4745

Watch out!

You can only cancel your Sun Life health insurance policy at least 10 days before the next billing date.

Can I get Sun Life travel health insurance?

You will have to check your specific plan to know if travel insurance is included. Travel insurance is a wise investment because provincial health insurance plans cover less once you are out of your home province. This means expenses can quickly escalate out of control if you become unwell or suffer an accident while travelling. If you are travelling abroad then you may not have any access to any health care services at all without having an insurance plan in place. In some countries, such as the USA, you will have to pay upfront for any medical treatment that you need.

if you are not already protected, you can either purchase a travel add-on to your health insurance policy or buy Sun Life travel insurance as a separate insurance policy.

What are the best alternatives to Sun Life health insurance?

In order to help you compare health insurance deals, we have included a quick summary of competitors below.

Our Blue Cross health insurance review: the most flexible choice

Blue Cross offers several plans that can include health benefits, drug, and dental coverage for you to choose from depending on what your health insurance needs are. Blue Cross provides an easy-access online portal which includes easy access to your benefit information and allows you to submit a claim online. Their plans allow for the optional add-ons of services such as critical illness coverage and hospital expenses.

Blue Cross private health insurance is intended for people who do not have access to a private group insurance plan, or if they would like additional benefits not offered by their employer’s or province’s health and drug coverage such as dental or medication-only coverage. For freelancers, there is the Blue Cross health insurance self-employed package. Blue Cross student health insurance is an affordable package for those in higher education or those who have recently graduated.

Pros

  • Named Canada's most respected health insurance company in 2022 by the Most Respected Award Program
  • Connected Care digital health platform
  • Self-service options
  • Submit claims online or via the app
  • Mix and match plans as needed

Cons

  • Some Blue Cross Canada health insurance reviews have criticized the customer service
  • Dental coverage is limited
  • Only available to Canadian citizens

Our CAA health insurance review: the best bundling discounts

The CAA, or the Canadian Automobile Associate, was founded more than 115 years ago. It is one of the largest not-for-profit automobile associations in Canada. It has been helping Canadians with a wide variety of products related to automobile services, but also offers insurance packages, including private health insurance. CAA health insurance has partnered with Manulife for over 20 years, allowing them to offer pre-packaged plans mix and match plans tailored to your specific health needs.

They have a 30-day guarantee where if you are not satisfied with the coverage you purchased, you may request a refund within 30 days of receiving your policy. CAA health insurance is a choice for you if you do not have health benefits through your employer, you are losing your group coverage, or if you would like to mix and match prescription and dental coverage. Note that you must have provincial or territorial health and drug coverage to apply for personal health insurance

Pros

  • Ability to mix and match plans
  • Discounts are available when you bundle health and dental

Cons

  • No online claims submission
  • Some CAA health insurance reviews have cited long wait times for dental treatment

Our Canada Life health insurance review: the best guaranteed policies

Canada Life offers a variety of levels of health insurance, all with differing levels of coverage which are designed to suit your needs, including prescription drugs, dental care, vision care and more.

They have comprehensive optional add-ons for you to further personalize your health plan. They also offer a ten-day look-and-see period. You can cancel your policy with no penalty during the first ten days.

Canada Life health insurance is a choice for you if you do not have health benefits through your employer, you are losing your group coverage, or if you would like additional benefits not offered by your employer’s or province’s health and drug coverage. Note that you must have provincial or territorial health and drug coverage to apply for personal health insurance.

Pros

  • Multiple plans that offer guaranteed acceptance
  • Quick and easy online quote and application
  • Comprehensive optional coverage add-ons

Cons

  • Travel medical insurance is not automatically included in their plans (it is an optional add-on)
  • Some Canada Life health insurance reviews have noted long callback times

Our Desjardins health insurance review: the most inclusive choice

Desjardins is a leading provider of insurance in Canada. Desjardins health insurance can be bundled with other insurance policies in order to save money. Compared to competitors, Desjardins premiums are slightly higher however they offer a wider range of coverages. That said, in some ways the company is behind some of its competitors as it does not offer the ability to sign up for a policy online.

Pros

  • Dental, medical, vision and travel insurance included in the standard plan
  • Online health platform and 24/7 telephones assistance
  • High maximum coverage limits
  • Enhanced hospital care

Cons

  • A policy can only be issued on the 1st or 15th of the month
  • Some Desjardins reviews critique the lack of online sign-up
  • Plans not available after 70 years old

Our GMS health insurance review: the best online option

GMS offers plans ranging from basic coverage to comprehensive health insurance, all of which have the option to add dental benefits and/or drug benefits. With GMS, you will be able to tailor a plan to fit your health needs.

They have a comprehensive online portal, My GMS, which allows for easy access to your benefit information and the ability to submit a claim online. Their travel insurance for certain plans automatically adds COVID treatment coverage.

GMS health insurance is a choice for you if you do not have health benefits through your employer, starting your own business, or if you would like additional benefits not offered by your employer’s or province’s health and drug coverage.

Pros

  • My GMS portal access
  • Submit a claim online or via the app
  • Counselling and speech therapy is covered in some plans

Cons

  • Some GMS health insurance reviews have criticized the limited dental plan
  • Some GMS health insurance coverage reviews have noted that hospital benefits are not automatically included
  • Vision and travellers insurance are not included in the Basic plan

Our Manulife health insurance review: the most comprehensive options

Manulife offers many comprehensive health insurance plans - whether you are looking for dental benefits, drug benefits, or a combination, you will be able to find a plan that works for your health needs.

They have a comprehensive online portal offering easy access to your benefit information and to submit a claim online. All health and dental plans have the option to add Manulife Vitality which gives you the opportunity to earn rewards and save on how much you pay.

Manulife private health insurance is a choice for you if you do not have health benefits through your employer, you are losing your group coverage, or if you would like additional benefits not offered by your employer’s or province’s health and drug coverage such as dental or medication-only coverage.

Pros

  • Manulife Vitality rewards program
  • Submit claims online or via the app
  • Option to choose dental-only, medication-only, or a combination plan
  • Option of having private or semi-private hospital room with all plans

Cons

  • Some Manulife health insurance reviews note that hospital benefits are not automatically included
  • Basic traveller’s insurance only covers the first 9 days of a trip
  • No specific Manulife health insurance for retirees

Make sure you find the right health insurance for you.

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1 comments
Malcolm
on

we are starting a small business and would like to offer a health package to the staff. The management team would get a premium package while the floor staff would get an intermediate or basic package. How do I go about getting a quote? about 6-8 management and about 15 floor staff

James James Our expert

Hi Malcolm,
You can directly contact the insurance provider of your choice to get a qote.
If haven't taken a decision yet, you can check our group insurance comparator to find the best plan for your employees.

Have nice day,
The HelloSafe team