Health Care in Sarnia-Lambton is offered under Canada’s Universal Health Care System. In Canada, health care is provided through a number of options including family doctors, nurse practitioners, hospitals, community health centres, family health teams, walk-in or after-hours clinics, and urgent care centres. For more information, please visit our Health Care Options page.
All Canadians are covered for major medical and hospital costs by provincial health insurance programs, with the exception of dental care and certain prescription drugs. In Ontario, this is known as the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) or OHIP+ To be eligible for OHIP, all residents must show:
- Their primary place of residence is Ontario
- Spend no more than 30 days outside of the province in the first 6 months of establishing residency in Ontario
- Be physically present at least 5 months (153 days) out of every 12 months in the province
As well as Canadian citizens, permanent residents and temporary foreign workers can apply for OHIP although there are different requirements for each.
As a permanent resident you must show written confirmation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that you are eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada, which can include:
- Permanent Resident Card
- CIC Confirmation Letter
- CIC Immigration document (e.g. Work Permit, Visitor record, Temporary Resident Permit, Study Permit) that indicates in ‘Remarks Section’ that you have applied for permanent residency
- Work Permit case type 27 (issued solely to those who have applied for permanent residency within Canada)
As a temporary foreign worker you must show in writing that you are employed full time by an employer in Ontario for at least 6 months by providing:
- Work permit
- Documentation confirming you are employed full time for at least 6 months
For more information on requirements for temporary foreign workers, visit the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website.
International students are not eligible for OHIP and must pay for private health insurance through the college or university they are attending. However, once insured privately, international students can access all the health care options those under OHIP do.
Note: If you are new to Ontario, there is a 3 month waiting period before OHIP will cover your medical costs. Therefore, it is a good idea to apply for OHIP as soon as you arrive in Ontario. If you are coming from another province, that province’s insurance plan may cover you during those 3 months. If not, or if you are coming from out of the country, it is a good idea to purchase private insurance for that time period. If you cannot afford private insurance, there are some health care options, such as Community Health Centres, that may still be able to provide you with services. Visit our Health Care Options page for more information.
Important pages you find in this section:
