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New York skyline, United States, a leading medical travel destination for Canadian patients

Medical Treatment in the United States for Canadian Patients

The United States is home to the world's top-ranked hospital for cancer and the top-ranked hospital for orthopedics, and it operates close to half of all proton therapy centres on earth, giving Canadian patients direct access to care that is often unavailable or delayed at home.

Quick Facts

Last updated: June 2026

Visa for Canadians

No visa and no ESTA required for visits of up to 6 months. By air, a valid Canadian passport is required. By land or water, a passport, NEXUS card, or enhanced driver's licence is accepted. You declare your intended stay on arrival, and a border officer sets the final period. Confirm details on the official Government of Canada entry requirements page 

Official language and hospital languages

English. Leading hospitals run dedicated international patient offices with interpreter support in many languages.

Currency

United States dollar (USD). Cards are widely accepted; Canadian cash and personal cheques are not.

Flights from Canada to the United States

Both Canada and the United States are vast, so the length and cost of your trip depend on two things: where in Canada you set off from and where in the United States your hospital is. To make that easy to judge from anywhere, the tables below give three United States destinations that span the country, New York in the east, Houston in the south and centre, and Los Angeles in the west.

Toronto skyline, a departure city for flights to São Paulo, Brazil

​from Toronto (YYZ)

to New York City (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark)

 

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 1 h 40 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 300 to 450 / peak CAD 450 to 650

​from Toronto (YYZ)

to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental, IAH)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 3 h 50 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 450 to 700 / peak CAD 700 to 1,000

​from Toronto (YYZ)

to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental, IAH)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 5 h 25 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 300 to 500 / peak CAD 500 to 750

Vancouver skyline, a departure city for flights to São Paulo, Brazil

from Vancouver (YVR)

to New York City (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark)

 

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 5 h 20 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 450 to 650 / peak CAD 650 to 950

​from Vancouver (YVR)

to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental, IAH)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 4 h 35 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 650 to 900 / peak CAD 900 to 1,200

​from Vancouver (YVR)

to Los Angeles (Los Angeles International, LAX)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 2 h 50 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 250 to 450 / peak CAD 450 to 650

Calgary skyline, a departure city for flights to São Paulo, Brazil

from Calgary (YYC)

to New York City (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark)

 

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 4 h 30 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 450 to 700 / peak CAD 700 to 950

​from Calgary (YYC)

to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental, IAH)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 3 h 45 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 450 to 700 / peak CAD 700 to 1,000

​from Calgary (YYC)

to Los Angeles (Los Angeles International, LAX)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 3 h

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 300 to 500 / peak CAD 500 to 700

montreal.jpg

from Montreal (YUL)

to New York City (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark)

 

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 1 h 35 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 250 to 450 / peak CAD 450 to 650

from Montreal (YUL)

to Houston (George Bush Intercontinental, IAH)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 4 h 15 m

​Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 450 to 750 / peak CAD 750 to 1,050

​from Montreal (YUL)

to Los Angeles (Los Angeles International, LAX)

Direct: Yes

Flight time: about 6 h 15 m

Round-trip: Off-peak CAD 450 to 600 / peak CAD 600 to 850

Fares are indicative and shift with season and how far ahead you book. Booking several weeks in advance and travelling outside summer peaks usually lowers the price. Many other cities, such as Cleveland for Cleveland Clinic, are an easy nonstop or one-stop connection from these hubs.

Where to Stay

​Patients usually stay close to the hospital district of their treating city. In New York, that is Manhattan's Upper East Side, near the cluster of major hospitals along the East River. In Houston, it is the Texas Medical Center area, the largest medical complex in the world. In Los Angeles, it is the city's west side, near Cedars-Sinai and UCLA. For treatment at Cleveland Clinic, the University Circle district sits next to the main campus. The rates below cover these cities.

3-star hotels

Average nightly (CAD)

​

New York: 260 to 360

​

Houston: 170 to 215

​

Los Angeles: 240 to 410

​

Cleveland: 150 to 290

4-star hotels

Average nightly (CAD)

​

New York: 370 to 485

​

Houston: 250 to 380

​

Los Angeles: 260 to 450

​

Cleveland: 250 to 350

5-star hotels

Average nightly (CAD)

​

New York: 760 to 1,450

​

Houston: 455 to 680

​

Los Angeles: 715 to 1,450

​

Cleveland: 400 to 630

Safety and Travel

For travellers asking whether the United States is safe for medical tourism, the Government of Canada places it at its lowest advisory level, advising travellers to take normal security precautions, the same as for most peer destinations.

 

The hospital districts where patients stay are established, well-serviced neighbourhoods. Check the current advisory before you travel: Government of Canada travel advice for the United States 

Featured Treatments in the United States

The United States is most distinctive for four areas of care, each measurable in independent rankings and patient volume: cancer, heart, neurological, and orthopedic treatment. Its core advantage is access to technology, named specialists, and clinical trials that are limited or unavailable in Canada.

knee bold

Advanced Cancer Care

Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York was ranked the world's number one hospital for oncology in Newsweek's 2026 list, and Houston's MD Anderson is one of the original federally designated comprehensive cancer centres. The country also runs roughly 48 proton therapy centres, close to half of the global total, and is where CAR-T cell therapy was first approved in 2017. Because cancer treatment wait times in Canada are short, Canadian patients generally choose the United States not for speed but for access to specific advanced modalities such as proton therapy, for second opinions from internationally recognized specialists, and for the world's largest pool of clinical trials.

Learn more about oncological care with Maple Med Global

​

Heart and Cardiovascular Care​

American hospitals hold the longest track record in cardiac care of any country. Cleveland Clinic was ranked the nation's number one heart hospital for 30 consecutive years, pioneered coronary bypass surgery and the TAVR valve procedure, and performs more than 5,600 heart surgeries a year; in the most recent 2025 to 2026 rankings, New York's NYU Langone and Mount Sinai moved into the top two for cardiology. For Canadian patients, the value is established surgical expertise and rapid access to a senior opinion on a complex or high-risk case.

Learn more about cardiology services with Maple Med Global

 

Neurosurgery and Neuroscience

NYU Langone in New York holds the number one United States ranking for neurology and neurosurgery in the 2025 to 2026 Best Hospitals list, and complex, high-acuity neurosurgery is a recognized national strength. This is also the specialty with the longest public wait in Canada, recorded at 49.9 weeks from referral to treatment, so the United States offers both faster access and deep expertise for difficult cases such as brain and spinal tumours.

​

Orthopedic Surgery​

Hospital for Special Surgery in New York has been ranked the number one orthopedic hospital in the United States for 16 consecutive years and the world's number one in orthopedics by Newsweek, with among the lowest readmission and complication rates in the country. Canadian orthopedic waits are among the longest of any specialty, recorded at 48.6 weeks, so the United States is chosen here primarily for fast access to hip, knee, joint, and spine surgery.

Learn more about orthopedic solutions with Maple Med Global

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Costs and Canadian Wait Times

The United States is chosen for access and timing rather than lower prices, so the comparison that matters most is the cost against the Canadian wait. The Fraser Institute's 2025 report records a national median wait of 28.6 weeks from referral to treatment, rising to 48.6 weeks for orthopedic surgery and 49.9 weeks for neurosurgery.

Heart bypass surgery

the United States: CAD 70,000 to 140,000

Canada, public wait: Cardiovascular surgery: urgent cases about 1.9 weeks (Fraser Institute 2025)

Proton therapy (full course)

the United States: CAD 70,000 to 345,000

Canada, public wait: Radiation oncology: 4.2 weeks (Fraser Institute 2025). Proton therapy specifically is very limited in Canada.

Knee replacement

the United States: CAD 28,000 to 48,000

Canada, public wait: Orthopedic surgery: 48.6 weeks (Fraser Institute 2025)

Hip replacement

the United States: CAD 28,000 to 62,000

Canada, public wait: Orthopedic surgery: 48.6 weeks (Fraser Institute 2025)

The ranges are wide because price depends heavily on the case. Proton therapy in particular varies with cancer type and the number of sessions: a standard adult course, such as for prostate or head and neck cancer, commonly runs about 140,000 to 230,000, short hypofractionated protocols can be lower, and complex pediatric cases can be higher.

 

For joint replacement, the lowest figures are typically found at outpatient specialty surgery centres, while the major flagship hospitals cost more. Final quotes are confirmed per case.

Leading Internationally Accredited Hospitals in the United States

  • Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, The Joint Commission accredited

  • Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, The Joint Commission accredited

  • Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, The Joint Commission accredited

  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and The Joint Commission accredited

  • Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, The Joint Commission accredited

  • NYU Langone Hospitals, New York, New York, The Joint Commission accredited

  • Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, The Joint Commission accredited

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This list is informational. Hospital selection for each patient depends on diagnosis, complexity, and treatment plan.

Frequently asked questions

For general questions about Canadian health insurance coverage abroad, complication insurance, follow-up care after returning to Canada, and trip planning, see our General FAQ 

Plan Your Treatment in the United States with Maple Med Global

If long waits or a complex diagnosis have you looking abroad, we help you understand your options in the United States with no pressure and no obligation. As a Canadian-based team, we coordinate your hospital, doctor, quote, and travel from start to finish, and answer your questions in plain language along the way.

Or call/text us at +1 (647) 492-2777

Explore Other Destinations

Comparing your options?  Explore more of our medical travel destinations to find the right fit for your treatment.

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