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Ministry Programs

Ontario Health Insurance Plan

OHIP Out of Country Health Services

Please make sure that you read this page as it contains important information about coverage for Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) services.

OHIP provides some coverage for health services received by individuals who are residents of Ontario and have a valid health card while they are outside of Canada.

There are two kinds of Out of Country Health Services that may be funded:

1. Out of Country (OOC) Emergency Health Services for Travelers

These are emergency services that you may need unexpectedly while you are traveling outside of Canada. Please note:

• OHIP provides only limited funding for health services required while traveling. Generally speaking, services are eligible for reimbursement if they were required as a result of condition that arose outside Canada, that was acute and unexpected and required immediate treatment.
• You or your private insurance company will be required to pay up-front for OOC treatment at the time of the service and request reimbursement from OHIP.
• Please note that coverage under the OOC Travellers Program is limited to amounts set out in the regulations. Therefore, all Ontario residents are encouraged to obtain private travel insurance before leaving Canada.

2. Prior Approved Out of Country (OOC) Health Services

These are elective health care services that are eligible for funding only if certain conditions are met. These conditions will be described in the pages to follow.

Your Ontario physician must send in a “Request for Prior Approval for Full Payment of Insured Out of Country Health Services” form on your behalf to the ministry prior to the services being rendered so that this approval can be considered.

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