Ontario Health Insurance Plan - Simcoe County Immigration

For eligible people living in Ontario, many health-care services are paid for by the government of Ontario, under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Many basic health services are included, such as visits to your doctor, specialists or the emergency room. However, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) does not cover services that are not considered medically necessary, such as cosmetic surgery.

The Government of Ontario website has more information about OHIP, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.

You can also visit the Service Ontario website or phone Service Ontario’s General Inquiry Line: 1-800-267-8097

The information listed below was provided by 211 Community Connection.

Service Ontario
Alliston Location	180 Parsons Rd, Unit 1 Alliston, ON L9R 1E8 Phone: 705-435-7661
Barrie Location	274 Burton Ave, Unit 21 Barrie, ON L4N 5W4 Phone: 705-728-3861
Barrie Location	34 Simcoe St, Unit 102 Barrie, ON L4N 6T4 Phone: 1-800-267-8097
Barrie Location	Bayfield Mall 320 Bayfield St, Unit 104 Barrie, ON L4M 3C1 Phone: 705-722-5210
Bradford Location	100 Dissette St, Unit 9 Bradford, ON L3Z 3G8 Phone: 1-800-267-8097
Collingwood Location	191 Hurontario St, Unit 6 Collingwood, ON L9Y 2M1 Phone: 705-445-3530
Elmvale Location*	40 Yonge St S, Unit A Elmvale, ON L0L 1P0 Phone: 705-322-4181 *Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing and Health Card Renewal Office
Midland Location*	Huronia Mall 9225 Hwy 93, Unit 20 Midland, ON L4R 4K4 Phone: 705-526-1590 *Driver and Vehicle Licence Issuing and Health Card Renewal Office
Orillia Location	575 West Street S, Unit 6, Orillia, ON L3V 7N6 Phone: 705-326-4424
Stayner Location	7134 Highway 26 Stayner, ON L0M 1S0 Phone: 705-428-2821

OHIP Card

To be covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP), you are required to have an Ontario Health card, which is also sometimes called an OHIP card or health card. To be eligible for an OHIP card, you need to meet certain eligibility requirements determined by the Government of Ontario.

Visit the Government of Ontario website to learn more about the specific eligibility requirements for OHIP.

To apply for OHIP coverage, visit a Service Ontario centre (see above for local Service Ontario locations). You can also visit the Service Ontario website or phone Service Ontario’s General Inquiry Line: 1-800-267-8097.

If You Don’t Have OHIP

When you first move to Ontario, there is a 3-month waiting period to be eligible for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). OHIP does not pay for your medical services during the waiting period; however, you can buy private health insurance to help cover the costs of medical services during that time. Private insurance is also an option to help pay for other medical services OHIP does not cover.

Some of the services offered at Community Health Centres (CHCs) are available without OHIP coverage. For more information about Community Health Centres in Simcoe County, contact one of the local Community Health Centres.

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) helps some refugees and refugee claimants with their medical costs for a short period of time after arriving in Canada. Visit Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada’s website to learn more about the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).