Green Shield Canada Reviews 141

I was a client with GS for about 5 years. First of all they gouged $80/ month for travel and dental coverage which escalated to $100. Nearly all my prescription claims were denied - including while I was traveling and needed to see a dentist - their customer service rep, listened to my issue on the call where I was in severe pain, and still she denied my claim. Later, my prescription medication claim while abroad was denied - are you kidding me? When I called to cancel finally, the rep mentioned that I didn't have the best plan and perhaps I would want to speak to someone about getting a plan with adequate coverage. I asked why GreenShield would not mention that before over the past 5 years - when I was apparently sold an insufficient medical plan at $100 per month? They had nothing to say. Greeshield is negligent and unethical in my opinion - they have gouged $5000 from my account without providing adequate healthcare services nor the compliance to ensure my plan was suitable. Their customer service staff consistently lack empathy and politeness. My recommendation after five years? Shop around. There's better out there - GreenShield is subpar and not worth the exorbitant fees, for shamefully low returns, an inexcusable lack of adequate coverage.

Been trying to get help login to my account for 2 days. on hold for hrs. No agents working there? absolutely horrible service. Accessing account online tot0303ally confusing.

Today was a great day when my call reached customer service provider Jessica. She is a very competent person, a good listener and helped me out with my claim submission. Thank you so much, Jessica, for your kindness and understanding.

Greenshield does not cover HRT! They are obviously using outdated information from the 1990's. Hormone Replacement Therapy is not a discretionary or cosmetic treatment. It is the standard medical therapy for a recognized endocrine disorder: hormone deficiency. My physician prescribed this medication to treat a clinically diagnosed condition, not to improve general wellbeing or comfort.

Untreated hormone deficiency is associated with well-documented medical risks, including:

* Accelerated bone loss and osteoporosis
* Increased cardiovascular disease risk
* Cognitive decline
* Severe vasomotor instability (hot flashes, sleep disruption)
* Genitourinary atrophy and recurrent infections
* Mood and neurological symptoms related to endocrine dysfunction

HRT is the first-line treatment recommended by major medical bodies including:

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS)
The Endocrine Society
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)

These organizations recognize hormone therapy as medically necessary treatment for hormone deficiency when prescribed by a physician after clinical evaluation.

To all my fellow women out there - Get LOUD about this. It's unacceptable that this therapy is not covered.

Waited an hour and a half to speak to agent about claim denied unreasonably. Would give zero stars if possible. Not the first time this has happened to me.
This company masquerades as not for profit probably to avoid paying taxes.

Terrible customer service.
I waited over 1.5 hours and was transferred four times, including three times to the wrong department. I had to repeat my issue each time.
The agent insisted a “Prescription Details” section does not exist in the app — even while I was reading it directly from the screen. Instead of checking, she dismissed it outright.
The total call lasted 2 hours and 13 minutes, and my issue was still not resolved.
This call took place on February 9, 2026.

Unfortunately this company cannot provide timely customer service ( had to contact for business reasons). There is a hellaciously long wait for an agent. I am so very very glad that MY insurance company is a real company that provides fast, friendly, efficient, knowledgeable customer service. I would be angry and upset were I to need to use this one. I strongly urge people considering this company to give their heads a shake and find a better one.

Absolutely horrible experience. Benefits booklet would not appear when I clicked on the alleged hotlink. Tried to phone to them. GS asked for my plan number which I spoke twice, the second time slowly and very clearly. Would not recognize the plan. When I pushed 0, the electronic voice said they needed my plan number before I could talk to someone. A real catch 22 designed to make you go away. if I could give a 0 rating I would.

Absolutely terrible! Never had this many issues with an insurance company before. They need referrals for almost everything where other providers don’t - even if they only cover tiny amounts anyways. Providers are not being saved and every claim I submit myself takes 1-2 weeks to process. Can’t get hold of anyone via phone, customer service is non-existent. I have this plan through my college so didn’t have much of a choice but if I had know how terrible this company is, I would have opted out!

This is the worse place we have ever used to buy benefits. They only cover 50% my wife’s diabetes medicine. Every bit of their coverage is worse than every other company. Don’t believe the bs commercials and online adds…..it’s a waste of money!

My co-worker just called Green Shield and had a wonderful experience with the phone operator, Melissa. Good job, Melissa. We are rooting for you. Rock on

I had a serious accident abroad that required urgent surgery and hospitalization. I managed to contact Greenshield promptly and provided all details and documents I could, during an initial call that lasted over two hours. After that, Greenshield repeatedly requested an extensive list of documents that were almost impossible to obtain, especially in English. Despite this, I submitted every receipt and document available.
At no point did Greenshield clearly explain what would be covered after the surgery, such as accommodation, meals, or post surgery care. I was never able to speak directly with my assigned case manager: there was no direct phone number, no direct email, and calls were routed through general lines without results.
After surgery, my doctors explicitly prohibited air travel for at least six weeks and this was communicated to Greenshield. New travel arrangements were needed for my return to Canada, and I asked Greenshield which flight changes (rebooking fees, seat upgrades, etc.) would be eligible for coverage on a 12 hour flight. Instead of addressing these medical restrictions, Greenshield ignored the doctors’ recommendations and simply stated that “we think you can fly now.” This did not reflect any documented medical opinion and, in my view, contradicted their own policies. When I objected to this unsafe suggestion, I immediately received a “Refusal of Repatriation” letter, in which Greenshield terminated my coverage retroactively.
I requested a medical explanation for this decision and continued to submit my expenses, but Greenshield never replied to any of my emails. I received no clear information about what would be covered and what would be denied. Eventually, I had to escalate the matter to the company’s complaints officer and, once I returned to Canada, I provided all documentation again in person. I did not abuse the coverage in any way; I stayed mostly with relatives and did not claim any accommodation costs.
Key concerns from my experience:
• No practical help during a very difficult and confusing time.
• No clear updates on claim status or next steps.
• Inability to reach or speak with the assigned case manager.
• Apparent focus on finding reasons to limit or terminate coverage.
• Questionable medical handling that, in my opinion, put my health at risk and did not align with standard medical protocols.
On the positive side, without any explanation or response to my emails, I eventually received a partial reimbursement cheque. About a week later, I unexpectedly received another cheque that appears to cover the remaining approved expenses. I suspect this happened after my complaint to the Greenshield complaints officer and possibly my employer’s involvement.
Final notes for other customers:
• Communicate with Greenshield in writing whenever possible.
• Keep thorough records of all expenses, ideally using credit cards for clear statements.
• Do not hesitate to escalate to higher levels (complaints officer, ombudsman, or relevant regulatory bodies) if you are not getting answers.
I am giving Greenshield 2 stars: one star because, in the end, I did receive full payment for my eligible expenses, and one star out of respect for the medical professionals abroad who treated me with humanity—something I hope Greenshield will strive to show more consistently in situations like mine.

GreenShield Canada intentionally makes it very difficult to contact them. When you call in, there is an AI that will really test your patience, basically encouraging you (or maybe forcing you) to go to their online portal. Unfortunately, if what you need is not there, they will make you go through hoops just to talk to an agent. Once the AI finally transfers you to an agent, they will make you wait. They will make you wait until you give up. If you have between 1-2 hours, maybe you’ll get to talk to an agent. Just maybe. Their customer service is horrible to say the least.

I've been waiting on hold for almost two hours "for an agent". Buyer beware - the GSC info says "Contact us. We're here to help." What a joke. The service sucks. The only reason I gave it a one is because there is nothing lower on the 5 star review "Tell us more about your experience." The reality is 0 stars out of 5.

This is by far the worst insurance company in the world. They intentionally make it hard to get your money for claims. In the 10 months I have been claiming for a pre approved orthodontics claim not once did I not have to call to get my claim processed properly. They either lose the claim, say I didn't attach the receipts which I document with screen shots for proof or just deny my claim and claim there was an internal error on their part from the claims processing division. Complete nightmare. Manulife is where I wish my employer has our insurance with.

I have been trying to reach a customer service representative for two days. Each day I waited for 30 mins (had to hang up) and 38 mins on a second call before getting disconnected. Now I have been on the line waiting for a rep to pick up for 1hr 10mins. Individual who finally picked up call was new and the information provide was to call back or check back on line. Waste of my time and call. He stated that there was nothing they could do to expediate the addition of my son on my file - even though information was provided.

i'm sitting on hold waiting to make a simple but urgent enquiry. This us normal for Greenshield. Heartless. Bueaucratic. Under-resourced. Don't insure through them if you have a choice!

Very bad experience. I called in to inquire about our travel coverage out of Canada. After a long wait time the customer service agent spoke very broken English and was very rude. I tried to inquire about costs for additional insurance coverage but had to give up. Very disappointed in Geenshield and would not recommend them.

The only reason I have given this miserable excuse for a company one star is because you can't give them zero. I won't even attempt to list the problems I have had with these dirtbags.