In Ontario, every permanent resident is entitled to access emergency and preventive care under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) free of charge. Every physician practicing in the province is a participating doctor. The medical services provided by the doctor are billed through OHIP to the government. OHIP does not generally cover prescription drugs outside of hospitals or dental care. However, the Ontario Drug Benefit program pays for prescription drugs for seniors covered by OHIP and the Trillium Drug Program covers households with high prescription drug costs. As of January 1, 2018, prescription drugs for those under 25 years of age are covered by OHIP through OHIP+.
Starting from May 1, 2018, Ontario has made it possible to renew OHIP cards online at ServiceOntario.ca/RenewCards.
There is no fee to renew a health card either online or in-person.
To renew a health card online, people in Ontario need:
- A valid driver’s licence to verify identity as a security measure
- To have lived at the same address at least 90 days prior to renewing
- To keep all other personal details the same
Individuals can still choose to renew their health card in-person at nearly 300 ServiceOntario centres located across Ontario. Many are open on weekends and evenings and some allow you to skip the line by making an appointment.
Modernizing the way Ontario delivers services is part of the government’s plan to support care, create opportunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over, through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, and free preschool child care from 2.5 to kindergarten.
The Ministry of Health will notify you by regular mail when you need to renew your health card.
You can renew your OHIP card in-person at nearly 300 ServiceOntario centres located across Ontario. However, doing it online is the easiest way, but not everyone is eligible to do so.
Again, it’s what you need to renew your health card online
Before you renew, make sure you have:
- your most recent health card
- your current driver’s licence
- a valid credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or Interac® Online (if you are also renewing your driver’s licence)
- a printer to download and print your temporary documents
Print and carry the temporary document
To prove you renewed your OHIP card online, it’s important that you download, print and carry the temporary document at the end of your transaction, until your new cards arrive in the mail.
Please keep in mind that screenshots of the documents are not accepted as proof that my cards have been renewed.
If you do not have access to a printer at the time of your renewal, you can download and save the temporary document and print it later. You must carry the temporary documents with your expired OHIP card.
Some conditions apply
- You must live in Ontario for at least 153 days (5 months) in any 12-month period to keep your OHIP Coverage.
- ServiceOntario may contact your to confirm that Ontario is your primary home.
- If ServiceOntario contacts you, you must respond within 30 days to keep your health coverage.
The information you provide in your application will be checked. Please remember that it is against the law to knowingly provide incorrect information for anything related to this application.
Your renewed OHIP card delivery
Your OHIP card renewal is free of charge. It will be sent to the address on file within 4-6 weeks by mail.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Due to emergency situation Ontario government has changed the rules making medical assistance available for everybody. But first, you have to know about these two important things:
- You may not need to renew your OHIP card at this time: health cards have an extended expiry date until further notice from the government. The Ministry of Health will notify you when you need to renew.
- Since March 19, 2020 the three-month waiting period for OHIP coverage has been waived.
Quick Facts
- There is no fee to renew a health card. Regular fees apply to renew your driver’s licence, and are the same both online and in-person.
- If your identity cannot be verified online, you will need to renew your health card in-person.
- If you need a photo for your health card or driver’s licence, renewing both at the same time in-person will improve your chances of being able to renew both online the next time around.
Source: Ministry of Government and Consumer Services https://news.ontario.ca/mgs/en/2018/05/you-can-now-renew-your-ontario-health-card-online.html
