Uninsured clients are individuals who do not have insurance coverage for medical services. These clients may belong to the following groups –

  • Those who have lost their identification, which is most often associated with the
    homeless (these individuals may reapply for identification, using resources such as the Hamilton Urban Core CHC ID Clinic)
  • Those in the three-month OHIP wait period, including newly arrived landed immigrants and temporary foreign workers
  • Temporary status migrants, including temporary foreign workers between contracts, and international students attending institutions that do not provide coverage, or moving from a student to a work visa
  • Those who are pending results of an inland immigration sponsorship or humanitarian and compassionate application
  • Undocumented or non-status residents

The Hamilton Know Your Rights Handbook lists the health and social services available to uninsured clients living in Hamilton. It also explains how uninsured clients can access various healthcare services (e.g. primary care, prenatal/obstetrical care, emergency care, etc.) in the Hamilton community.

Note: Refugees, refugee claimants, denied refugee claimants, and certain other newcomer groups in Canada are entitled to healthcare coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). People who belong to these groups can contact the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 for more information about their coverage. The IFHP Billing & Eligibility tools on this site may also aid providers and clients in accessing IFHP coverage.

References: Free to Some – Examining the Landscape of Health Services for Uninsured Residents in Toronto (TSLIP, 2014); OHIP for All
Guidebook last updated August 2017. Correspondence to ruth.chiu@medportal.ca.