You may be out of the province for up to 212 days in any 12-month period and still maintain your Ontario health insurance coverage provided that you continue to make Ontario your primary place of residence.
To be eligible for ongoing OHIP coverage you must be an eligible resident of Ontario. This means that you must:

• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or among one of the newcomer to Canada groups who are eligible for OHIP; and
• be physically present in Ontario for 153 days in any 12-month period; and

be physically present in Ontario for at least 153 days of the first 183 days immediately after establishing residency in the province; and

• make your primary place of residence in Ontario.

You must be able to provide the ministry with documents that show you meet these requirements. For more information about eligibility, please refer to the OHIP Eligibility fact sheet, or contact your local ServiceOntario – Health Card Services – OHIP office.

How long do I have to stay in Ontario immediately after I apply for coverage?

If you have moved to Ontario from outside Canada, or if you have moved from another Canadian province or territory and were uninsured by that province or territory's health plan, generally speaking you must be present for 153 days in the first 183 days immediately following the date residency is established in Ontario (you cannot be absent for more than 30 days during the first 6 months of residency in Ontario).

If I must be away frequently because of my job or studies; am I eligible for OHIP coverage?

On April 1, 2009 the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (ministry) changed the OHIP eligibility rules under Regulation 552 of the Health Insurance Act.  As a result, you may still be eligible for OHIP coverage as a mobile worker or mobile student if your job or studies require you to leave Ontario frequently and you are unable to be present for 153 days in any 12-month period. To maintain your OHIP coverage, you should be able to provide acceptable documents:

That show that your work requires frequent travel in and out of Ontario, or that your full-time academic program in Ontario requires travel outside of Ontario; and

To show how you make your primary place of residence in Ontario (refer to Ontario Health Coverage Document List).

New or returning residents to Ontario who qualify as a mobile worker or mobile student are exempt from having to meet the 153-day in the first 183-day physical presence requirement immediately after establishing residency in Ontario.

The above is only a summary of the OHIP eligibility provisions of Regulation 552 for your reference.  You should consult the actual regulation for the specific requirements applicable to you.  The provisions in Regulation 552 prevail over this summary.

April 2009