Know Your Rights! Access to health care for uninsured and precarious status migrants in Toronto
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Know Your Rights! Access to health care for uninsured and precarious status migrants in Toronto Compiled by:
Know your rights! Accessing Primary Care
WHAT IS PRIMARY CARE ANYWAYS? Primary care is a broad term used in Canada
to describe health services provided in the community. This includes diagnosis,
treatment and management of health problemsas well as disease prevention and
health promotion services. Primary care is often provided at a Community Health
Centre. Primary care providers are often an individual’s first point of contact with
the healthcare system.
#1 Medically uninsured individuals have a right to access Community Health Centres
free of charge and regardless of ability to provide a health card. Community Health
Centres can see people without OHIP for doctors appointments, tests, and special-
ist visits. To look up a community health centre near you, call 416 236-2539. Here
is a list of some of the CHCs in Toronto an their eligibility criteria:
Access Alliance Central Toronto Community Health Centre
www.accessalliance.ca www.ctchc.com
Eligibility: Immigrants and refugees, including *Queen West CHC (Queen & Bathurst):
people without immigration status. No OHIP re- 168 Bathurst Street, Phone: (416) 703-8480
quired. No catchment area. Eligibility: Live within the catchment area of Col-
lege Street to the north, University to the east,
*Downtown Location (College & Bathurst): Dovercourt to the west, and Lake Ontario to the
340 College St., Ste. 500, Phone: 416-324-8677 south. No OHIP required.
*AccessPoint on Jane (Jane & St. Clair): *SHOUT Clinic (Queen & Bathurst):
761 Jane St. 2nd Floor, Phone: 416-760-8677 168 Bathurst Street, Phone: (416) 703-8482
Eligibility: For homeless and street-involved youth
*AccessPoint on Danforth (Danforth & Victoria (Ages 16-24). No catchment area.
Park): 3079 Danforth Ave. Phone: 416-693-8677 No OHIP required.
East End Community Health Centre Anishnawbe Health Centre
www.eastendchc.on.ca www.aht.ca
Eligibility: For people who identify as indigenous
Eligibility: Catchment area is Greenwood Avenue or aboriginal (including North and South America).
(south of Danforth Ave) and Coxwell Avenue No catchment area. No OHIP required.
(north of Danforth Ave) to the West, Victoria Park
Avenue to the East, O’Connor Drive to St. Clair *Main office (Queen and Sherbourne)
Ave to the North, and Lake Ontario to the South. 225 Queen Street East Phone: 416-360-0486
OHIP not required.
*Gerrard Site: (Jarvis & Gerrard)
*East End CHC (Queen & Coxwell) 179 Gerrard St. E. Phone: 416-920-2605
1619 Queen Street East Phone: 416-778-5858Inner City Family Health Team
www.innercityfht.ca
Eligibility: Current or former resident of Seaton
House Men’s Shelter (including O’Neill, Downs-
view Dells, Birchmount Residence).
Regent Park Community Health Centre
Inner City Family Health Team (Queen & Church) www.regentparkchc.org
69 Queen Street East, 4th floor Eligibility: For those with OHIP: South of Gerrard,
Phone: 416 368 5666 north of King, west of the Don River, east of
Sherbourne. For those without OHIP: South of
Parkdale Community Health Centre Bloor, north of Lake Ontario, west of the Don
www.pchc.on.ca River, east of Yonge Street. Serve many immi-
Eligibility: Bloor to the north, Lakeshore to the grants.
south, Parkside to the west and Dovercourt to the
east, unless homeless. No OHIP required. *Regent Park CHC (Dundas and Parliament)
465 Dundas Street East
*Parkdale CHC (Queen and Dufferin) Phone: 416-364-2261
1229 Queen Street W. Phone: 416-537-2455 South Riverdale Community Health Centre
www.srchc.com
Sherbourne Health Centre Eligibility: Don River to the west, Lakeshore to
www.sherbourne.on.ca the South, Coxwell to the east, O’Connor to the
Eligibility: north. No OHIP required.
Newcomer Team: Yonge Street and the DonRiver
to the east, between Bloor Street and Lake On- *South Riverdale CHC (Queen and Broadview)
tario to the south. 955 Queen Street East, Phone: 416-461-2494
LGBT Family Health Team: City of
Toronto. Urban (including homeless and Flemingdon Community Health Centre
underhoused). www.fhc-chc.com
Family Health Team: City of Toronto. Eligibility: Laird Drive to the west, Lawrence
No OHIP required for all of the above. Avenue to the north, Victoria Park to the East and
O’Connor Drive to the South. No OHIP required.
*Sherbourne Health Centre Serve a large immigrant population.
(Sherbourne and Carlton)
333 Sherbourne Street, Phone: 416-324-4180 *Flemingdon CHC (Don Mills & Eglinton)
10 Gateway Blvd, Phone: 416-429-4991
Women’s Health in Women’s Hands Davenport Perth Community Health Centre
www.whiwh.com www.dpnchc.com/
Eligibility: Women of Caribbean, Latin American, Eligibility: Bathurst to east, railway tracks to west,
African, South Asian and Aboriginal descent only. Rogers Rd. to north, Bloor street to South. No
No OHIP required. No catchment area. OHIP required.
*Women’s Health in Women’s Hands *Davenport Perth CHC (Landsdowne & Daven-
(Yonge & Carlton) 2 Carlton Street, Suite 500 port)
Phone: 416 593 7655 ext 7 1900 Davenport Rd., Phone: (416) 658-6812!
Don’t see a Community Health Centre in Your Area? For a full list of CHCs in Ontario,
please see: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/system/services/chc/locations2.aspx
Unfortunately, the CHC in your area may have a waiting list. You can ask to be placed on the
list if there is one. You can also ask if there are other CHCs in the area that are accepting
new patients. Always go to a hospital if you require emergency health services.
#2 Clinics for the uninsured. These clinics do not require you to be a patient in advance. You can show
up for the drop-in clinics or make an appointment for those that require it. These clinics will do their
best to help you get the tests you need but may not be able to pay for them.
The Scarborough Clinic for the Uninsured West End Non-Insured Walk-in Clinic
What: A drop-in clinic that sees people who do notWhat: A walk in clinic for people with no-status/
have health insurance on a first come, first servethe non-insured, people who are in the 3 month
basis. In addition, a non-emergency children’s OHIP wait period, people who do not have a pri-
clinic is held once a month. mary care provider (ie. no doctor or nurse practi-
tioner), people who live west of Yonge Street and
When: The clinic runs Tuesday and Thursday eve- in the City of Toronto. People who cannot use the
nings only, from 5pm-8:30pm NIWIC include: Anyone who has status, anyone
who already has a regular doctor/nurse practitio-
Where:1127 Markham Road, Scarborough, ON ner, anyone who already has OHIP or IFH, any-
one who has private insurance, anyone who is a
visitor or a student.
Muslim Welfare Centre
http://muslimwelfarecentre.com/free-medical- When: Monday from 4:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
clinic.php (last client at 7:15 p.m.) and Wednesday from
What: Free Health Clinic for those who are not 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. (last client at 4:15p.m.)
covered by OHIP such as refugees, students, visi-
tiors or new immigrants who are waiting for OHIP Where: AccessPoint on Jane, 761 Jane Street
coverage. (at Woolner) on the 2nd Floor
Welcome Medical Clinic
When: Every second Friday of the month www.welcomemedicalclinic.com
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. What: A volunteer clinic available only to patients
Every second Wednesday of the month without OHIP.
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Every third Tuesday of the month Where: New Best Care Medical Centre
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Unit #4, 790 Burnhamthorpe West
Every last Friday of the month Mississauga, ON, L5C 4G3
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Park behind the Red Lobster or take the #26
OR by appointment: (416) 754-8116 Bus)
When: To book an appointment, call 647-200-
Where: 100 McLevin Ave. Suite#4A & 4 3353. No Walk-ins. Please leave voicemails in
Scarborough, Phone: +1 (416) 754-8116, +1-866- English or have someone do that for you.
754-3111 (Toll Free) Contact us at: welcomemedicalclinic@live.com
#3 Some health centres have budgets set aside for professional translators. If you have an appoint-
ment, call in advance to see whether translation services are available.
#4
Telehealth Ontario is a free, confidential telephone service you can call to get health advice or
general health information from a registered nurse. You do not need a health insurance number to
call nor do you need to provide any personal contact information if you do not want to. It is available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can offer translation support in multiple languages. Telehealth
Ontario: 1-866-797-0000. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/telehealth/Know your rights! Sexual Health
Regardless of your immigration status, you can Crossways Clinic
visit a Toronto Public Health sexual health clinic 2340 DUNDAS ST W
for: Toronto, ON M6P 4A9
Phone: 416 392-0999
-Birth control counselling
-Low cost or free birth control Drop in: Mon: 9:30 - 12 noon, 2 - 6:30 pm;
-Free condoms Tue: 1 - 5:30 pm; Wed: 9:30 - 11:30 am, 1 -
-Plan B (emergency contraceptive pill) 3:30 pm; Thu: 12 - 4 pm; Fri: 9:30 - 12 noon
-STI testing and free treatment *Rapid HIV testing available
-HIV testing
The Gate
!
-Pregnancy testing, counselling and referral
-Sexuality and relationship counselling Flemingdon Health Centre
10 GATEWAY BLVD
You do not need a referral or OHIP to attend Toronto, ON M3C 3A1
TPH sexual health clinics. They are: Phone: 416 429-4991
Birth Control and Sexual Health Centre Drop in: Mon, Thu: 3 - 5 pm
Suite 403 Note: New clients arrive before 4:30 pm
960 LAWRENCE AVE W, Toronto, ON M6A 3B5
Phone: 416 789 4541 Hassle Free Clinic
66 GERRARD ST E
By Appointment: Toronto, ON M5B 1G3
Mon: 2 - 5 pm; Tue: 4 - 7 pm; Wed: 12 - 5 pm; Phone: 416 922-0566
Thu: 5 - 8 pm; Fri: 12:30 - 4:30 pm
*Anonymous HIV testing (including the rapid HIV Men/Trans (Drop-in): Mon, Wed: 4 - 8 pm
test) Women/Trans (Drop-in): Mon, Wed, Fri: 10 -
12 noon
Black Creek Community Health Centre (Sheri- Women/Trans (By Appointment):
dan Mall site) Mon, Wed, Fri: 10 - 3 pm;
North York Sheridan Mall, Unit 5 Tue, Thu: 6 - 8 pm
2202 JANE ST, Toronto, ON M3M 1A4 *Anonymous HIV testing (including the rapid
Phone: 416 789-4541 HIV test) available
All anonymous HIV tests are done by ap-
Drop-in: Tue : 4 - 6 pm pointment.
By Appointment: Tue: 3 - 4pm
Immigrant Women’s Health Centre
Black Creek Community Health Centre (York- 489 COLLEGE ST #200
gate Mall site) Toronto, ON M6G 1A5
1 YORK GATE BLVD Phone: 416 323-9986
Toronto, ON M3N 3A1
Work: 416 246-2388 Drop-in:
Mon & Tue: 10 - 6 pm; Wed: 2 - 8 pm;
Drop-in: Thu: 10 - 2 pm
Wed: 2 - 5:30 pm Please arrive at least 1 hour before end of
New clients arrive before 5 pm clinic timeThe Jane Street Clinic Taibu Community Health Centre
662 JANE ST 27 TAPSCOTT RD
Toronto, ON M6N 4A7 Toronto, ON M1B 4Y7
Work: 416 338-7272 Work: 416 644-3536
Drop-in: By Appointment:
Tue: 1 - 5:30 pm; Wed: 2 - 6:30 pm; Thu: 9:30 - Tue: 2:30 - 6:30 pm
11:30, 1 - 4 pm
*Rapid HIV testing available The Talk Shop
5110 YONGE ST
Rexdale Community Health Centre Toronto, ON M2N 6M1
8 TABER RD Work: 416 338-7000
Toronto, ON M9W 3A4
Work: 416 744-0066 Drop-in:
Mon, Thu: 2 - 6:30 pm
By Appointment: Wed: 9:30 - 11:30 am, 1 - 3:30 pm
Wed: 1:30 - 5:30 pm Rapid HIV testing
!
*Anonymous HIV testing
You can also call the AIDS and Sexual Health
Rexdale Youth Resource Centre Infoline. Toll free: 1-800-668-2437 They are a
1530 ALBION RD province-wide free anonymous service staffed
Toronto, ON M9V 1B4 by professional, multidisciplinary, and multi-
Work: 416 741-8714 cultural counsellors who offer assistance in
different languages. They offer information
By Appointment: Thu: 2:45 - 5:30 pm on:
Anonymous HIV testing (including the rapid HIV
test) -HIV/AIDS (Pre-test and post-test options; Infor-
*Must be 28 years old or under mation and referral to point of care HIV Rapid
Test sites province-wide)
Scarborough Sexual Health Clinic -Safer sex activities
Scarborough Civic Centre -Risk assessment
160 BOROUGH DR -STIs
Toronto, ON M1P 4N8 -Birth control options
Work: 416 338-7438 -Emergency contraception
-Sexuality
Drop-in: Mon: 9:30 - 12 noon, 2 - 6:30 pm; Tue: -Relationship concerns
1 - 3:30 pm; Wed: 9:30 - 12 noon, 3:30 - 6:30 pm; -Pregnancy and options
Thu: 1 - 3:30 pm; Fri: 9:30 - 12 noon -Sexual orientation
By Appointment: Wed: 2 - 3:30 pm; Thu: 9:30 - -Issues related to harm reduction, including injec-
11:30 am tion drug use and needle exchange programs
*Rapid HIV testing available -Referral to appropriate clinics and community
agencies
Special Treatment Clinic -Crisis intervention
8th Floor -Assistance in problem solving and decision mak-
790 BAY ST ing
Toronto, ON M5G 1N8 -Individualized time to address each client’s
Work: 416 351-3800 ext.2207 needs
-Complementary service to existing public health
Drop-in: Tue, Wed, Thu: 5 - 7 pm and community programs#5 All residents of Toronto, regardless of immigration status are entitled to access to Toronto Public
Health Services. Many programs, services and materials are available in multiple languages.
Prenatal and Post-Partum services Tuberculosis Prevention and Control Program
Public Health Nurses and/or registered Dietitians Talk to your healthcare provider about TB preven-
offer: tion, testing, and treatment, and a referral to To-
-Preconception, prenatal and postpartum educa- ronto TB clinics (including coverage for patients
tion and support with no health insurance).
-Telephone assessments and counselling
-Home visits Dental Services
-Healthy Babies, Healthy Children Program Children under 18 years of age or seniors 65 years
-Prenatal programs and older, live in the City of Toronto, lack private
-Breastfeeding support dental insurance, and are unable to afford a pri-
-Information and referrals to appropriate commu- vate dentist can access free TPH dental clinics.
nity resources For a list of Toronto Public Health dental clinics,
see: http://www.toronto.ca/health/dental/ locations.
Patients can refer themselves by calling htm
Toronto Health Connection
416-338-7600 If you do not meet the criteria above, you can still
Monday to Friday access low-cost dental services here:
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. http://www.toronto.ca/health/dental/ds_low_cost.
htm
Healthy Babies Healthy Children
Provides long term home visiting to families who Harm Reduction Programs
meet eligibility requirements A needle exchange program is offered for drug
users through “The Works.” Services include
HBHC is delivered by a team of: distribution of injection and other safer drug us-
Public health nurses (PHNs), and eequipment and condoms, education, counselling,
Family home visitors (FHVs) who are skilled peer lab testing, and vaccination. The Works also offers
parents who speak the same language as the a low threshold methadone clinic for opiate users:
family 416-392-0521.
Who is it for during the pre-natal period: Immunization
To receive vaccine information and to report chil-
-Pregnant women who are homeless or have dren’s immunizations, the public may call: 416-
transient housing 392-1250.
-Pregnant teens/young adults 21 years of age
and under
-Pregnant women of any age who are cognitively
impaired
-Pregnant women with a history of, symptoms
of, or a diagnosis of a mental health nature that
increases their risk for ineffective parenting
-Pregnant women who are newcomers to
Canada, i.e. here less than 3 years, isolated
and having their first baby in Canada
Call 416-338-7600 for more information.Know your rights! Uninsured in Pregnancy * Midwifery care is free (no cost) for any woman who is a resident of Ontario. It does not matter what your legal immigration status is, as long as you are a resident of Ontario. *Find a midwife near you: http://www.aommembersonly.ca/find_a_midwife/Search.aspx * In addition to midwives, clients can go to community health centres to get care while they are preg- nant. See above under Primary Care. * Midwives can care for women and order all the tests in a healthy, normal pregnancy – but pregnant women need to pay for these tests. * Midwives in Ontario offer both home and hospital birth to their clients – if you have your baby in hospital, you need to pay the hospital fee. Different hospitals in the city charge different rates for unin- sured patients. You might want to call a few hospitals to find out which ones have cheaper rates. *Research has shown that homebirth with a midwife is a very safe option for low-risk women (women with no health problems, or pregnancy related concerns). There are NO costs to having your baby at home with a midwife and research shows that women and babies who have a normal pregnancy are just as healthy with home birth with a midwife in Canada as they are if they give birth in the hospital. * When you are actually in labour or have another medical emergency, the hospital or doctor cannot refuse to care for you, even if you do not have any money. The hospital and doctor will bill you for the care they provide, but they will still provide you with the care you need in an emergency. * As above, the hospital may take you to a collection agency to collect the fees you owe them for any amount of time you stayed in the hospital. If they take you to a collection agency, this can affect your credit rating and ability to get a loan in the future * Most hospitals will let you pay them in small amounts (even $50 a month) instead of taking you to a collection agency – sometimes it is better to try to work this out with the hospital finance department instead of waiting until they go to a collection agency. * Many hospitals will not end up making you pay the full fee if they see that you can even pay part of it (e.g. half the fee). Doctors are unlikely to take you to a collection agency to collect their fee. *Canadian-born children to uninsured mothers have full access to OHIP and are eligible to receive a health insurance card. * Even if your baby needs to stay in the hospital because it is sick, you might not have to stay in the hospital as a patient if you are healthy - this can save you costs of having to stay in the hospital. * Many hospitals have ‘sleeping rooms’ where parents can stay for one or two days if their baby is in the nursery. These sleeping rooms mean you are not a patient, but you can stay to help care for your baby (e.g. breastfeed). If you stay in a sleeping room, you do not need to pay. You can only stay in the sleeping room for 1 or 2 days if it is free. If your baby needs to stay in the hospital you might not be able to stay. KYR for uninsured pregnant women courtesy of: Manavi Handa, Registered Midwife, Assistant Pro- fessor Ryerson University
Know your rights! Emergency Medical Care
#1 You cannot be refused emergency medical care based on your ability to provide a healthcard. You
will however be billed by the hospital. Rates vary at different hospitals for uninsured clients.
#2 All hospitals in Ontario should have access to translation services via telephone although not all
healthcare providers will be knowledgeable about how to access such services. If you require transla-
tion services, ask your healthcare provider about telephone translation services.
#3 Even if you don’t receive a bill at the time of your discharge from hospital, you may be sent a bill in
the mail. Many hospitals have an equity/diversity office. Ask to speak with them as they may be able
to help you negotiate payment in installments with the hospital’s finance department. Ask them to bill
you as a medically uninsured “ontario resident” as opposed to a medically uninsured traveller. Hospi-
tals are not required to do this, but they may oblige if you ask.
#4 Hospitals may take you to a collection agency if you are unable to pay for your hospital fees. In
many cases, it is better to try to negotiate payment of some portion of the fees than to wait for a bill to
be sent to you that will go unpaid and subsequently will be followed up by a collection agency. Again,
if they take you to a collection agency it may affect your credit rating and your ability to apply for
loans, a credit card, a cellular phone etc. in the future.
!
DISCLAIMER
* Every effort has been made to verify the content in this handbook however service provision is dy-
namic and the content in this book may not always be up-to-date. Call ahead! If you notice an error,
please send an e-mail to healthforalltoronto@gmail.com
*Last updated November 2013You can also read
