Do residents of Ontario continue to have access to insured health services outside of the province following the full implementation of Local Health Integration Networks?
There is no change whatsoever to access to insured health services outside of Ontario under the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006. If you are an insured resident of Ontario and you are outside the province temporarily (for example, in neighbouring Manitoba) you can use your Ontario health card to obtain insured health services. Because of arrangements that Ontario has with most other provinces and territories, the publicly-funded hospital or physician that you visit while outside Ontario will not bill you directly. In some cases, you may have to pay for health care that you receive in another part of Canada, such as doctors’ services (for example, in Quebec). In those cases, you are eligible for reimbursement from the ministry, and the OHIP rate for the service will apply. More information about OHIP coverage across Canada is available in the ministry’s fact sheet.
