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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Dumb question about health care!
Hi girls! I just got my health card in the mail yesterday (moved to Ontario from the U.S). Anyway, DH is OOT and I was thinking about going to the doctor today. I need to get a prescription from the U.S filled and I usually have my annual girl appointment in April. I also want to get a general check up.
Where do I start? I am clueless! DH just said make sure you don't go to a private clinic. How do I know if it is private? Are all walk ins pretty much the same?
Re: Dumb question about health care!
I'm not sure what you mean by private clinic- there won't be any offices where you have to pay out of pocket, if that's what you're referring to. All doctors are publicly funded.
As for finding a doctor, I imagine it's much the same as anywhere else. Crack open the phone book. Ask friends for referrals. Check the website for the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons (or whatever they're called in Ontario- that's what it's called where in BC) and see if the website lists any doctors in your area that are hoping for new patients.
As for walk ins, they're usually much the same in terms of services offered.
Thanks for all the information! I don't know why I find it so confusing. It's just something new I guess.
I do have an insurance card from my husband's work and I was actually wondering who I show it to. LOL. I'll see if they take it at the pharmacy.
I would also call your local hospital. They usually have a list of local doctors who are accepting patients. Now one thing that may make it difficult is that most doctors won't see you for your annual physical for the first appointment. Make sure when you call a doctor you tell them you just moved here...that may make it easier.
I have yet to find a doctor that will accept me as a patient and allow my first appointment to be a physical. I have to pretend something is wrong with me to get that first appointment. So lame.
Yep, give it to the pharmacy. You probably have prescription drug coverage through his work. If you're lucky, they'll process the claim automatically at the pharmacy and you won't have to fill out any paperwork. Sometimes, though, you'll have to pay up front and send in a claim for reimbursement. I've had it both ways.
first Welcome to the board and to Canada. You will be blown away by having universal health care I'm sure.
Finding a doctor can be a bit tricky but not impossible. Walk-ins will help if you need a prescription filled quickly - in fact my reg doctor growing up was at a walk-in because his office was so close to my house. I went there for 18 years. I now have a doctor that I really like and it is a regular doctor (not a walk-in) but the first doctor I had (who was also good but retired) I found through the hospital near my place at the time.
Finding a doc can be tricky but not impossible. Good Luck and don't lose those precious cards!!
In Alberta we also have women's clinics - these are for women who don't have a family doctor but need a physical or breast exam, etc. So you may want to ask if there are any of those in your area. My sister actually hasn't bothered to look for a family doctor because she likes this clinic so much.
And if one office says they aren't accepting patients ask if they know of any who are. You can also ask at the walk in clinic - some of those doctors will also take patients. It's just usually a stupid schedule (my opinion as someone who works) like Tuesday mornings 9:30 - 12 and Wednesdays 10-2.
Most doctors here require a meet and greet - they take your history before you can get an appointment. Not sure if that's what the other poster was referring to. It's a bit of a hassle but worth it if it gets you on their patient list.
OHIP doesn't cover these in Ontario.
Edit - this was my biggest frustration when trying to find a doctor. Unless there was something wrong with me that I needed to see them right then they wouldn't add me to their patient list.
I'm in Toronto and I had a meet & greet appointment when I first started seeing my current family doctor. I didn't have to pay for it, so if OHIP didn't cover it, then I guess they just didn't charge for it.
Baby #2: Surprise BFP 9.19.12, EDD 5.24.13, natural m/c 10.19.13 at 9w
Ditto this. I'm not sure if this is a recent thing (charging for it), but the last 2 GPs who I joined did the meet and greet. One was about 5 years ago, the other 2 years ago.
I've had two different doctors since I moved to Toronto nine years ago, and I'm pretty sure my first appointment with both was a yearly physical. I found both doctors through the College of Physicians and Surgeons doctor search.
I'm not sure what area you are from but I used to go to a women's clinic in Toronto for annual girl appointments and everything else to a walk-in. Finding a family doctor is hard. I just put my name on waiting lists everywhere. I used that website that PP listed but it seemed totally inaccurate. Finally I was referred to a family physician who also delivers babies when I was pregnant and I'm holding on tight to her! Poor DH still doesn't have a doctor though.
Good luck!
I will agree... it is hard to find a family doctor.. BUT not impossible... just requires patience and keeping your eyes and ears open.
I have a family doctor who left his practice to persue other avenues and so another doctor stepped in and took over his practice... I only went there if I had to as I didnt like the new doctor... Only about a little over a year ago I found a doctor taking new patients and my first appt was a meet and greet to get my history and make sure I was happy with the care she could provide for me; my next appt was my girlie... It didnt cost me anything!
Your best bet is to ask clinics and hospitals for doctors... some may be out dated or not as doctors taking patients fill up like over night!
DH's family doctor kicked him off his patient list as he had not been to him like 7+ years as he didnt require attention and so he began going to a local walk in clinic and after a serious accident saw this one doctor several times and asked her if she would take him on and because he was just a single patient.. she did... he is generally a health person so he rarely requires medical attention that the military doesnt do themselves or order!
GL in your search!
Wow, thanks for all of the great information!
I went to the nearest walk in clinic and got my prescription filled. They also gave me a phone number for a doctor that is accepting new patients right now. I was able to get an appointment for next month. She is in Oakville and I am in Mississauga but that is ok with me. I am interested in looking into that woman's clinic. That sounds like the type of place I used to go to.
I am actually very surprised that I was able to get in that soon! When I switched doctors in the states the soonest they could see me was 6 months away. It was crazy!
My first doctor visit in Canada was great but I felt really strange leaving without emptying my wallet!
lol! get used to it
I would say that in the past 5 years I have ran into 15 or so doctors accepting new patients in Oakville, Burlington and KW who would not do a physical as the fist appointment and who won't do meet and greets as a first appointment.They all said that OHIP doesn't cover meet and greets so they won't do them as a first appointment and that they don't do the physicals because it isn't "fair" to their other patients who have long waits for the physical appointments.
This is why it has been impossible for me to find a doctor. At one point in Burlington I lied and said I was sick just to get in and get on the patient list.
Maybe it has something more to do with the individual doctor and their patient load?
Hmmm, maybe, because our new doctor required that we come in for a meet and greet.
We entered our name on a website that matches up patients with doctors for our area. It was probably about 3 months between signing up and seeing the doctor. I live about an hour from TO.
LOL, apparently none of us do either - there seems to be a lot of variety within the province, forget when someone from out of province decides to contribute
I always find the answers to these questions so interesting.