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Newcomer health coverage

Your first months in Canada, covered calmly.

Provincial health coverage is excellent — but it does not always start the day you land. This page explains how coverage begins, what a waiting period means, and how families bridge the gap without panic.

Plan around the waiting periodLearn the words first
The three-part picture

How health coverage works when you arrive

1

Provincial coverage

Every province runs public health insurance — in Ontario it is called OHIP. Once you are covered, most doctor and hospital care is paid for.

How OHIP starts
2

The waiting period

Some provinces have historically made new residents wait — in Ontario, up to 3 months. Rules change; the planner shows how to check yours and plan the gap.

Open the planner
3

Bridging the gap

Families often use temporary visitor-style medical insurance for the uncovered weeks. We explain what that coverage does and does not include.

What bridge cover does
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Your first 3 months

A calm checklist for the first 90 days

Apply for your provincial health card as soon as you have an address — do not wait.
Ask when your coverage actually starts, and write the date down.
If there is a gap, read what temporary medical cover includes before you buy anything.
Register with a family doctor or clinic early — waits for a first appointment can be long.
Keep every receipt from the gap period — some costs are claimable later.
In your city

Settling in Toronto? We collected the local version — where to apply, community health centres, and language help.

Newcomers in Toronto