Most Canadian extended health benefit plans — Sun Life, Manulife, Canada Life, Blue Cross, Green Shield Canada and others — will reimburse medical-grade compression stockings when a doctor has prescribed them. Yet many people either pay out of pocket without realizing they were covered, or file a claim afterwards and get back far less than they expected. The difference usually comes down to doing four things in the right order: prescription, estimate, pre-approval, then the order. This guide walks through each one, exactly as it works with Canadian insurers.
Why plans cover 20-30 mmHg and up
Compression stockings are graded by how much pressure they apply, measured in mmHg (millimetres of mercury, the same unit as blood pressure). Insurers draw a line through that scale: mild over-the-counter support below 20 mmHg is generally not eligible, while 20-30 mmHg and higher — what plans call "medical grade" — commonly is, provided a prescription supports it.
The logic is simple. Below 20 mmHg, a stocking is a comfort item anyone can buy off a shelf. From 20-30 mmHg up, it is a treatment for a diagnosed condition — varicose veins, edema (fluid swelling), chronic venous insufficiency (when leg veins struggle to return blood to the heart) — and that is what an extended health plan exists to pay for. If you are unsure which level applies to you, our guide to choosing between 20-30 and 30-40 mmHg covers it, and you can browse everything by compression level.
Step 1 — Get the prescription first
The prescription has to come before anything else, for two reasons: your insurer asks for it with the claim, and it is what allows the GST/HST to come off qualifying items when you buy.
Who can write one
- Your family doctor or a nurse practitioner — worth asking if you already have an appointment coming up.
- A telehealth visit — often the easiest option. Book a general appointment online, describe your symptoms, and ask for the item by name.
- A walk-in clinic — no family doctor needed. Bring the wording below so the visit is quick.
What it needs to say
A prescription that names only the product, with no diagnosis, is the most common reason a claim comes back short. Ask your prescriber to include:
- The reason — a medical diagnosis such as varicose veins, edema, or chronic venous insufficiency. "For travel" is often refused.
- The item — with the compression class in mmHg. Most plans expect 20-30 mmHg or above.
- How many — a number rather than "as needed," for example 4-6 pairs. A prescription is generally good for a year, so if it covers the full quantity you expect to need, you can buy in batches without booking another appointment.
Step 2 — Know your plan's three limits
Before you shop, spend two minutes in your insurer's member portal or app under Coverage, My Benefits or My Plan. Look for the Medical Equipment, Medical Supplies or Orthopaedics category, and note three numbers:
- Annual maximum — the most your plan pays in a benefit year, often shared with other medical supplies.
- Quantity limit — how many pairs you can claim per benefit period. Ask when yours resets rather than assuming January.
- Per-pair limit — the easiest one to miss, because it is often not printed in the portal at all. Insurers call it the reasonable and customary amount, and it is what "100% covered" is really measured against: a plan covering knee highs at 100% may still pay only up to about $140 a pair. This one is worth a phone call to the number on your benefits card.
Whichever limits your plan carries, the tightest one is what stops you — so it pays to know all three before you order.
Step 3 — Get a free insurance estimate
An insurance estimate is an itemized document listing what you plan to buy, each price, and the provider details — everything your insurer needs to confirm what it will pay before you spend anything. We prepare these free of charge:
- Add what you need to your cart. Not sure which product or size? Ask us first — it is easier than amending a claim later.
- Click Get an Insurance Estimate in your cart, fill in your details, and upload your prescription — a phone photo or PDF is fine.
- We email your estimate, usually within one business day, with tax already removed from qualifying items so your insurer sees the real numbers.
The full process, including screenshots of where everything lives, is on our Insurance Estimates & Claims page.
Step 4 — Send it to your insurer for pre-approval
Submit your prescription and the estimate through your insurer's member site or app — but pick the right claim type. Choose Estimate or Pre-determination, not the ordinary medical equipment claim, which assumes you have already paid. What comes back is a pre-determination letter stating what your plan will pay; no money moves yet.
- Sun Life — sign in at mysunlife.ca and use Submit documents, choosing the document type Estimates.
- Manulife — start a submission and choose Estimate as the provider type; Manulife typically replies within five business days.
- Canada Life — under Make a claim, pick the claim type Estimates and other claims (in the app, look for Need an estimate? instead).
- Green Shield Canada — submit as a pre-authorization (also called a predetermination) rather than an ordinary claim.
- Blue Cross — regional, so use the site for your plan. Blue Cross plans want an eligible diagnosis on the prescription and the compression level itemized on the receipt — ours carry both.
If your portal does not match these labels, call the number on your benefits card — portals change, and plans vary.
Step 5 — Order, then claim your money back
Once your insurer confirms what it will pay, place your order at the approved prices. After paying, send the receipt to your insurer the same way — this time as a regular claim — and keep your prescription with it, since most plans ask for it again. Our receipts already show what insurers check for: the claimant's name, our provider details, each item and the total. Reimbursement is usually quick, but allow a few business days.
mediven Select Knee High 20-30 mmHg Compression Socks20-30 mmHg knee high
mediven Comfort Thigh High 20-30 mmHg Compression Stockings20-30 mmHg thigh high
mediven Comfort 20-30 mmHg Compression Pantyhose20-30 mmHg pantyhose
If your plan doesn't cover everything
Annual maximums and per-pair caps mean a plan sometimes pays part of the cost rather than all of it. Whatever your plan does not reimburse may still count toward the CRA Medical Expense Tax Credit on your income tax return — prescribed medical devices such as compression stockings are an eligible expense. Keep your receipts and your prescription even after the insurance claim is settled.
Questions along the way?
We are a compression and bracing retailer in Markham, Ontario, and we handle these claims with customers every week. Start with the Insurance Estimates & Claims page, check the FAQ, or message us — the chat button sits at the bottom-right of every page. And when you are ready to shop, the full range is in our compression collection.
This article is general information about insurance processes, not medical advice. Your coverage depends on your specific plan — confirm details with your insurer before ordering if reimbursement is the deciding factor.