Services covered by OHIP

OHIP covers part or all of the following services:

Doctors

Whether you visit your doctor, or if you see one in a walk-in clinic, OHIP covers the full cost of your services – as long as they’re medically necessary. This includes both medically necessary in-person visits, as well as medically necessary virtual visits delivered by video or telephone.

Learn about the services doctors provide.

Find a doctor.

Hospital visits and stays

If you need to go to the hospital, OHIP covers:

  • doctor and nursing services
  • services to diagnose what’s wrong (such as blood tests and x-rays)
  • medications for in-patients (once a patient is discharged, prescribed medications are not covered)
  • medications administered to out-patients when a hospital visit is required in order to administer the medications
  • certain medications that are provided to out-patients for home use
  • accommodation and meals if you have to stay
    • if you want a private or semi-private room, you or your private insurance will have to pay some or all of those hospital fees

Laboratory testing

OHIP covers lab tests taken in hospitals that are medically necessary.

Hospital patients should have their tests taken at the hospital to avoid any possible out-of-pocket charges.

OHIP also covers medically necessary lab tests taken in non-hospital settings, such as community labs. Read the full list of covered tests in the community setting.

Non-hospital patients should have their test done in a community lab if they have a lab order from a clinical provider such as a licensed physician, midwife or nurse practitioner.

Before you have your laboratory testing done, speak to your health care provider about:

  • OHIP coverage to avoid unexpected costs
  • where to get lab testing done if you are unsure

See below for community lab providers that offer laboratory services in Ontario:

What is not covered by OHIP

OHIP does not cover some specialized, non-routine tests. For other tests, OHIP will only cover them if you meet certain eligibility criteria and a particular health care provider (physician, midwife, nurse practitioner) ordered the test. A few examples of tests that are not covered by OHIP except under specific circumstances include:

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is covered by OHIP if either of the following apply to you:

  • you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are receiving treatment or following up after receiving treatment for the disease
  • a healthcare provider (for example, physician) suspects prostate cancer because of your history and/or the results of your physical examination (including digital rectal examination)

For all other scenarios, you will need to pay for PSA.

Learn more about PSA testing and eligibility criteria.

Aspartate aminotransferase test (AST) is covered by OHIP if ordered by a physician who specializes in liver diseases.

For all other scenarios, you will need to pay for AST.

25-hydroxy vitamin D test is covered by OHIP if you have any of the following conditions:

  • osteoporosis
  • rickets
  • osteopenia
  • malabsorption syndromes
  • renal disease
  • drugs that affect vitamin D metabolism

For all other scenarios, you will need to pay for a vitamin D test.

Abortion services

OHIP covers the cost of:

  • surgical abortions that take place in a hospital or clinic
  • Mifegymiso (a pill that induces an abortion in early pregnancy), if you have a prescription from your doctor

Contact an abortion clinic near you for more information about ending a pregnancy.

Dental surgery in hospital

Some dental surgeries need to be performed in a hospital because they are complex and/or you have another medical condition that needs monitoring during the procedure.

OHIP covers in-hospital dental surgeries such as:

  • fracture repair
  • tumor removal
  • reconstructive surgeries
  • medically necessary tooth removal (prior approval by OHIP is required)

Optometry (eye-health services)

Children and youth 19 years old or younger are eligible for the following OHIP covered services:

  • 1 major eye exam (for vision and general eye health) every 12 months
  • any minor assessments needed

If you are 20 years old or older, and you have an eligible medical condition affecting your eyes, OHIP will cover:

  • 1 major eye exam for you once every 12 months
  • 2 additional follow-up minor assessments

Eligible medical conditions are:

  • diabetes mellitus
  • glaucoma requiring or having had treatment with medication, laser (excluding prophylactic laser peripheral iridotomy), or surgery
  • cataracts / posterior capsular opacification with a visual acuity of 20/40 or worse in the best corrected eye, or when a surgery referral is made
  • retinal disease that is acute, or is chronically progressive
  • corneal disease that is acute, or is chronically progressive
  • uveitis that is acute or chronic during episodes of active inflammation
  • optic pathway disease that is acute, or is chronically progressive
  • acquired cranial nerve palsy resulting in strabismus during the acute phase or until the condition resolves or stabilizes
  • ocular drug toxicity screening for patients taking hydroxychloroquine, chloroquine, ethambutol or tamoxifen

If you are 65 years and older and you do not have an eligible medical condition affecting your eyes, OHIP will cover:

  • 1 major eye exam for you once every 18 months and 2 additional follow-up minor assessments.

You may be eligible for additional eye care if you are on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) or Ontario Works.

Podiatry (foot-health services)

OHIP covers between $7-16 of each visit to a registered podiatrist up to $135 per patient per year, plus $30 for x-rays. You will need to pay for the remainder of the cost of each visit.

Surgeries performed by podiatrists are not covered by OHIP.

Find a registered podiatrist.

Ambulance services

If you need an ambulance for a medical emergency, OHIP covers part or all the costs depending on the circumstances.

Travel for Northern Ontario residents

If you have to travel long distance for specialized medical care and live in one of the following areas, OHIP might help pay for your travel and accommodation through the Northern Health Travel Grant:

  • Algoma
  • Cochrane
  • Kenora
  • Manitoulin
  • Nipissing
  • Parry Sound
  • Rainy River
  • Sudbury
  • Thunder Bay
  • Timiskaming

Find out if you qualify and how to apply to the Northern Health Travel Grant.

Services not covered by OHIP

OHIP does not cover:

  • prescription drugs provided in non-hospital settings (such as antibiotics prescribed by your family doctor)
  • dental services provided in a dentist’s office
  • eyeglasses, contact lenses
  • eye surgery, associated testing/measurements, and intraocular lenses with enhanced features that are provided to decrease or eliminate dependency on glasses or contact lenses. (When these services are provided at the same time as OHIP-insured cataract surgery, they are still not covered under OHIP)
  • cosmetic surgery
  • health services that are:
    • delivered outside of hospital by health care providers that are not physicians, or prescribed practitioners under Ontario legislation
      • only physicians and other practitioners prescribed by regulation under the Health Insurance Act (such as optometrists, podiatrists, dentists for certain services in hospitals and midwives for services in in birth centres) are eligible to be paid by OHIP for performing insured services for insured persons
    • delivered virtually through secure messaging or a means other than video or telephone
    • considered to be experimental

Protecting your access to Ontario’s Public Health Care services

Through the Commitment to the Future of Medicare Act, 2004 (CFMA), the province of Ontario upholds the Canada Health Act's requirement for provinces and territories to prohibit extra-billing and user charges for OHIP insured health care services.

In Ontario, it is prohibited for a person or entity to:

  • charge OHIP-insured persons for an insured service or a component of an insured service
  • pay or receive a fee or benefit from an insured person for providing preferred access to an insured service
  • require an insured person to pay a block fee in order for that person to receive an insured service (a block fee is a charge that covers a group of uninsured services over a specific period of time)

If you’re charged for an insured service

If you believe that you may have been charged for an insured service or for access to an insured service:

  • e-mail us the details, including the name of the person or entity and the insured service
  • call us at 1-888-662-6613

If the ministry finds that a person has paid for an insured service or part of an insured service, the ministry will make sure the full amount of the unauthorized payment is returned to that person.

Protect your health card number

Only share your health card number with health care professionals who are entitled to have it, such as:

  • doctors
  • nurse practitioners
  • hospitals
  • chiropractors
  • optometrists

You can use your health card as a form of identification for other reasons, but no one else can record or copy your health card number. If your health card number falls into the wrong hands, it could be used to access to your personal health information or for OHIP fraud.

Help prevent OHIP fraud

You can help stop someone who:

  • knowingly uses an Ontario health card that is not theirs
  • receives health services covered by OHIP but is not an Ontario resident
  • knowingly gives false information to get OHIP when they know they are not eligible

To report suspected cases of OHIP abuse or fraud:

We investigate every report and will cancel OHIP coverage if someone cannot prove they qualify for OHIP. We also refer suspected fraud to the Ontario Provincial Police for investigation and possible prosecution.