Are There Any Private Health Providers Abroad That Come Highly Recommended?

If you are considering obtaining health care outside of Canada, there are many high quality clinics that can accommodate Canadian patients who need a diverse array of health services; everything from diagnostic scans and cancer treatment to knee and hip operations.

Europe hosts numerous private clinics where Canadians can receive quality pre-operative, surgical, and post-operative care. Premium Europe is a luxury travel business that uses comprehensive data to provide individualized personal support and connect patients with the best clinics and doctors for their medical needs.
For orthopedic surgeries (such as hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and general joint replacements) they recommend the following clinics in Switzerland and Germany:
- Klinik Permanence ‒ Bern, Switzerland
- The University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf ‒ Hamburg, Germany
- Klinik Beau-Site ‒ Bern, Switzerland
- Salem-Spital ‒ Bern, Switzerland
- Klinikum Rechts der Isar ‒ Munich, Germany
- J.W. Goethe Hospital ‒ Frankfurt, Germany
- Hessingpark-Clinic ‒ Augsburg, Germany
- Grand Resort Bad Ragaz ‒ Zurich, Switzerland
- Klinik Hirslanden ‒ Zurich, Switzerland
- Klinik Im Park ‒ Zurich, Switzerland
- Hirslanden Klinik Aarau ‒ Bern/Zurich, Switzerland
- Hirslanden Clinique Bois-Cerf ‒ Lausanne, Switzerland
- Clinic La Colline ‒ Geneva, Switzerland
- Hôpital de La Tour ‒ Geneva, Switzerland
- Pyramid Clinic Zurich ‒ Zurich, Switzerland
Premium Europe also ranks the best private hospitals in Europe according to medical specialty, such as oncology, rehabilitation and vascular surgery. The top ranked private hospitals according to medical specialty can be accessed and viewed by clicking here.
In March 2024, Yahoo! Finance also published an article entitled “10 Best Private Hospitals in Europe“. Their methodology ranked hospitals based on physician expertise, patient experience, specialized services, and patient safety. The Top 10 are:
- Das Rehaportal Qualitaetskliniken ‒ Multiple Cities, Germany
- Fundacion Institut Guttmann ‒ Barcelona, Spain
- IRCCS Policlinico San Donato ‒ San Donato Milanese, Italy
- Hôpital de La Tour ‒ Geneva, Switzerland
- Hospital Da Luz ‒ Lisbon, Portugal
- Heilignefeld Clinics ‒ Multiple Cities, Germany
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois ‒ Lausanne, Switzerland
- Lister Hospital ‒ Stevenage, United Kingdom
- Wiener Privatklinik ‒ Vienna, Austria
- Klinik Im Park ‒ Zurich, Switzerland
The United States is also a viable option for Canadians seeking private healthcare options, largely due to its free market model of healthcare.
In 2023-2024, U.S. News ranked the best hospitals in the United States according to 15 medical specialties, and recognized hospitals by state, metro, and regional areas for their work in 21 more widely performed procedures and conditions. Close to 5,000 hospitals were analyzed and 30,000 physicians were surveyed as part of the rankings.
The list ranks the best U.S. hospitals for specialties such as cancer treatment, cardiology and vascular surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, neurology, and many more, and is available by clicking here.
Furthermore, U.S. News evaluates over 1,600 orthopedics hospitals every year throughout the USA and ranks the top 50 that treat patients for spinal surgeries, limb, joint, and other musculoskeletal and orthopedic issues. The full list is available here, with the top five being:
- Hospital for Special Surgery – New York, New York
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center – Los Angeles, California
- Mayo Clinic Rochester – Rochester, Minnesota
- NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital – New York, New York
- New York Presbyterian Hospital – New York, New York
Of note, U.S. News also provides lists of the best hospitals in the United States specializing in hip fracture, hip replacement and knee replacement.
The weekly online magazine Newsweek also ranks the best U.S. hospitals to help patients find, “which hospitals or state of the art facilities have the most accomplished physicians and diagnosticians, and offer the highest level of care.” The full list is available here, and results can be tailored depending on which medical speciality a patient is searching for (such as cardiac surgery, oncology, etc). Of note, the top five U.S. orthopedic hospitals are:
- Hospital for Special Surgery – New York, New York
- Mayo Clinic Rochester – Rochester, Minnesota
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital – Baltimore, Maryland
- Cleveland Clinic – Cleveland, Ohio
- Massachusetts General Hospital – Boston, Massachusetts
Newsweek has also ranked the following as the top five hospitals in the world, according to medical speciality and including hospitals outside of Canada, Europe and the United States:
- Gustave Roussy ‒ Villejuif, France (Oncology)
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin ‒ Berlin, Germany (Cardiology)
- Great Ormond Street Hospital ‒ London, United Kingdom (Pediatrics)
- Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité ‒ Berlin, Germany (Cardiac Surgery)
- Asan Medical Center ‒ Seoul, South Korea (Endocrinology)
More rankings by specialty are available in the list, including gastroenterology, orthopedics, neurology and pulmonology.
The Medical Tourism Magazine also ranks the top five hospitals in the world for orthopedic surgeries and procedures. The magazine is published by the The Medical Tourism Association, which is a non-profit trade association that curates and disseminates “the most reliable and comprehensive information to individual consumers, healthcare providers, and referring organizations worldwide.”
The magazine’s top five hospitals include:
- Bumrungrad Hospital ‒ Bangkok, Thailand
- Cleveland Clinic – Cleveland, Ohio
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center – Los Angeles, California
- Nicklaus Children’s Hospital ‒ Miami, Florida
- Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital ‒ Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia