Step 1: Get Your OHIP Card (Fast)

Before you can see a doctor for free, you need the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card.

• Good News: The old 3-month waiting period was removed. You are covered immediately upon approval.
• What to do: Go to a ServiceOntario location immediately after landing.
• Bring: Your COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence) or PR Card, passport, and proof of address (like a bank statement or lease).

Step 2: The Government List (Health Care Connect)

Ontario has an official waitlist called Health Care Connect. You should join it, but do not rely on it.

Register by calling 811 or visiting the official website. Once registered, a nurse will try to match you with a doctor who is accepting new patients.

Step 3: The "Rostering" Game

Most newcomers don't realize that family doctors in Ontario are private businesses funded by the government. They decide when to open their doors to new patients.

When a doctor accepts you, you sign a contract called "Rostering". This commits you to their clinic. In exchange, they get funding to manage your care.

How to find them manually:

1. Cold Calling: Call every clinic in your neighborhood. Ask: "Are you accepting new patients for rostering?"
2. Walk-in Clinics: Some walk-in doctors also have a family practice. Ask the receptionist if any doctor is rostering.
3. Pharmacies: Pharmacists often know which local doctors are expanding their practice.

Step 4: The Shortcut (Automation)

Doctors often open their roster for only a few days—or even hours—before they are full again. You cannot call 500 clinics every day.

This is why we built Clinic Scout. We use AI agents to monitor over 500 clinics across Ontario 24/7. When a clinic updates their website to say "Accepting New Patients," we send you an SMS instantly.