Health Network for Uninsured Clients

The Network’s mandate is:

1. To be a forum for health care and allied professionals working in the Greater Toronto Area to discuss the delivery of care and to map out pathways to health care access for uninsured clients in Ontario;
2. To inform and support research on issues related to improving access to high quality health care services for uninsured clients;
3. To identify, raise awareness and propose solutions to barriers to health care services for uninsured clients. This includes policy and operational change within health care institutions and advocacy at the LHIN and Ministry levels; and
4. To assist health planners and policy makers with comprehensive reviews and/or the development of plans and policies affecting the uninsured. 

Babies born in Canada are citizens by birth. While a parent may not have OHIP for several reasons (e.g. new permanent resident in three-month wait period, no legal status, denied refugee claimant, overstayed visa, lost identification), their lack of health insurance does not affect a baby’s eligibility for OHIP.

Resources below describe the OHIP eligibility criteria for babies born in Ontario whose parent(s) do not have OHIP. They have been developed by the Health Network for Uninsured Clients as a guide for hospital staff who are responsible for issuing the Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form. Receiving a health card at birth is crucial for protecting the health of our youngest Ontarians. Not providing OHIP to eligible babies in a timely way can lead to delayed care, high costs for families and potentially adverse health outcomes for these children. These resources were informed by research conducted by Wellesley Institute.

Resources:
Newborn Eligibility for OHIP Fact Sheet
Newborn Eligibility for OHIP Quick Reference Card

Please note Wellesley Institute and the Network do not directly provide health care services but here is more information about Health Care Services for Uninsured Clients in Toronto:

• List of Medical Clinics in Toronto, Mississauga and Scarborough for Non-Insured Clients. (Compiled by the Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services Health with Dignity Program October 2017)
• List of Toronto Community Health Centres and Sexual Health Clinics that serve people without insurance, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. (Last Updated April 2014)

Please note Wellesley Institute and the Network do not directly provide health care services but here is more information about Health Care Services for Uninsured Clients in Toronto:

• List of Medical Clinics in Toronto, Mississauga and Scarborough for Non-Insured Clients. (Compiled by the Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services Health with Dignity Program October 2017)
• List of Toronto Community Health Centres and Sexual Health Clinics that serve people without insurance, available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. (Last Updated April 2014)

Reports from the Network

• 2016 Network Symposium: In February 2016 the network held a day-long symposium. You can read the report from that symposium here.
• 2012 Seeking Solutions Symposium: In 2012, the Network on Uninsured Clients co-hosted the Seeking Solutions Symposium. The symposium’s agenda and full report are available.
• 2010 Network Report: In 2010, the Network on Uninsured Clients published a qualitative research project on Health Care Access for the Uninsured, with four related fact sheets:
  • Common Health Issues of the Undocumented and Uninsured
  • Barriers to Accessing Health Care
  • Policy Recommendations
  • Information Needs
• 2010 Network Conference: In 2010, the Network on Uninsured Clients co-hosted a Research Conference on Health Care for the Uninsured and Undocumented.

General Resources about Medically Uninsured Populations in Toronto

• The Non-Insured Walk-In Clinic, a partnership between seven Community Health Centres in Toronto, publishes annual reports on patient demographics, health issues and service innovations, challenges and next steps: 
  • 2017 Annual Report (PDF)  
  • 2016 Annual Report (PDF) 
  • 2015 Annual Report (PDF) 
• CBC Radio’s Day 6 produced a short documentary in March 2015: Pregnant in limbo: How vulnerable women pay for Canada’s universal health care. 
• In May 2014, Toronto City Council voted to take actions to improve access to City services for Undocumented residents. 
• A. Stanley, Free to Some: Examining the Landscape of Health Services for Uninsured Residents in Toronto, Toronto South Local Immigration Partnership & Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, 2014. 
• P. Caulford, ‘Health care for Canada’s medically uninsured immigrants and refugees: Whose problem is it?’, Canadian Family Physician, 58(7) 2012. 
• In 2013, Toronto Public Health reported on Medically Uninsured Residents in Toronto. 
• In 2012, Toronto Public Health reported on the Health Impacts of Reduced Federal Health Services for Refugees. 
• In 2012, the City of Toronto reported on Undocumented Workers in Toronto. 
• In 2011, Toronto Public Health and Access Alliance published Global City: Newcomer Health in Toronto. 
• Social Planning Toronto’s Accessing Community Programs and Services for Non-Status Immigrants in Toronto: Organizational challenges and responses. 

Resources on the Interim Federal Health Program

The cuts made to the Interim Federal Health program for refugees in 2012 were reversed by the federal government in 2016.   

• The Wellesley Institute published a series of reports examining the health impacts of cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program: 
  • S. Marwah, Refugee Health Care Cuts in Canada: System Level Costs, Risks and Responses, February 2014. 
  • S. Barnes, The Real Cost of Cutting The Interim Federal Health Program, October 2013. 
  • S. Barnes, The Real Cost of Refugee Health Cuts: A Health Equity Impact Assessment, May 2012. 

• November 2014: Health For All created a flowchart explaining the Temporary Health Measures for the Interim Federal Health Program.