Health Care

Health insurance and care for your family

The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) provides residents of Ontario with free basic health care services (generally excluding dental services) that are medically necessary. Services covered include visits to a family doctor, specialists, and hospital stays.

To obtain a health card for the first time, apply in person at one of the two ServiceOntario locations in Kingston, 1201 Division Street (Kingslake Plaza) or 1650 Bath Road. Children do not need to be present to apply.

Questions? Contact the Service Ontario’s INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 TTY 1-800-387-5559 from 8:30am - 5:00pm.

Apply for OHIP

Newcomers to Canada

Queen's coverage through UHIP (University Health Insurance Plan)

Prior to the pandemic, newcomers to Canada were required to wait three months before the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage started. **At present, there is no longer a waiting period for OHIP coverage.

Should there be any exceptional circumstances regarding your eligibility, you and your dependants can sign up for interim coverage with the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). You will need to make an appointment to visit the Human Resources department to enroll in UHIP. This must be done within 30 days of your arrival in Kingston, or a $500 fine will apply. There is a cost to the UHIP coverage so make sure you ask the HR Client Service team about the fees and coverage.

Former residents of Ontario returning after a long-term absence

If you are a former resident of Ontario and you have been out of the Province for more than 212 days in any 12-month period, you may have to reapply for OHIP at a specialized ServiceOntario Centre that provides the full suite of health card services. Contact the ServiceOntario information line at 1-866-532-3161 TTY 1-800-387-5559 from 8:30am - 5:00pm for details on your specific case or check the Service Finder on the OHIP website.

During the waiting period, you can be covered under the UHIP plan, please see above for details on how to apply through the Department of Human Resources.

Moving to Ontario from another part of Canada?

If you have a valid health card from your former province's or territory's health insurance, you will be covered under it for up to three months until you can obtain coverage from OHIP. As soon as possible after your move to Ontario, apply for an OHIP card. Please see the top of this page for instructions on how to apply. If you need medical services while you are waiting for your OHIP card to be processed, bring your health insurance card from your former province. In some cases, you may have to pay for the service and claim reimbursement from your former Province of residence.

Supplementary health benefits

Queen's and the Human Resources Department website provides extensive information on supplementary health and dental coverage available to university employees.

Accessing health services for your family

Health Care Connect is a service that can help you find a family doctor who is accepting new patients so we recommend that you register and understand that it may take some time. There is often a shortage of family doctors in our area so finding one who is accepting new patients can be challenging. You can also call Health811 to talk to a registered nurse - day or night – for free health advice. You need a valid OHIP card to use the service.

Register for Health Care Connect

Kingston offers a walk-in clinic to take care of urgent, minor, non-life threatening medical problems. You can also get your prescription renewed at a walk-in clinic. Please follow the link for locations and hours. No appointment is necessary, and fees are covered if you are covered under OHIP or UHIP. If covered under UHIP, you may have to pay cash for the service and then claim reimbursement from UHIP.

Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team (The Place of Good Medicine) provides a range of culturally safe primary care services for people who identify as Indigenous as well as their families with a special focus on people at risk for and living with chronic diseases as well as people living with mental health conditions and or/addictions. All services are status blind. There are two primary care team office location: is located at 45 Meadow Drive, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and at 730 Front Road in Kingston.

The Kingston Health Sciences Centre's Emergency Care Department is located at 41 King Street West for more urgent care. It is open 24/7, 365 days a year. They handle various illnesses and injuries requiring immediate medical attention. When you first arrive, you will be assessed and triaged to determine who needs to see the doctor urgently.

The Urgent Care Centre is located at 166 Brock Street. It opens daily at 8:00 AM (closes at 8:00 PM on weekdays and 4:00 PM on weekends). It is for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries such as cuts needing stitches, sprains, mild to moderate asthma attacks, and minor broken bones.