Topic: Renewing an Ontario Health card

[tpl]

The Ontario gov is incredibly anal about health cards.   One has to make an appointment and bring 3  documents such as a passport or birth certificate and  a drivers licence and possibly even a 3rd official thing .

Compared to the renewal of a drivers licence which is done by a private company and only requires to see the old one   or a Canadian passport which now only requires the old one and a new picture be posted to Ottawa.

I cannot see why the health card ( I am talking about one with a picture on it not the old one) needs more that a drivers licence or a passport even.

To add insult to injury there are very few health card issuing offices across the province unlike the driver licence offices.

Given that every legal resident of Canada is entitled to free medical care after they have been here for 90 days or so I don't see why they get so bothered about it.

[Wolverine]

Since we are at the medical care thing, let me ask something. There's a way to have private medical care plan in Canada? Does it worth, or the gov plan is good enough??

Sorry to deviate from the topic's subject tpl.

[UmroAyyar]

tpl, I got mine renewed last year, no hassles except waiting for an hour.

No appointments, need 3 documents, citizenship/permanent residence card, driver's license, a utility bill or credit card.

Downloaded, filled, printed the forms from the OHIP website.

[tpl]

Last time I had to renew was in TO, I went early afternoon and the place was bulging at the seams... went and took another try at 5pm and got served and out again in 2 minutes, place was empty.

They sent me the form... as a reminder to renew.    I called for an appointment and to my delight they can do it in G  about 2 days every 2 weeks by appt.

The reason given for the multiple pieces of documentation is that they have had a lot of fraud.    The woman suggested that doing it via the d/l offices was a non-no as they were private enterprise and health stuff is deemed more confidential than drivers stuff.  OK.

[curls]

Know what I foudn to be really wierd?  When I went to vote last week, they were accepting drivers' licenses or health cards as ID, but NOT PASSPORTS?

For one thing, I am 99.999% sure that Health Cards cannot be used as identification by governments or private citizens/stores/security personnel.
Another thing... not accepting passports as valid ID to vote? Why not? Aren't they valid pieces of identification?  The CBSA sure thinks so, yet the gov't won't allow them to be used for voting? Sheesh!

[safristi]

PASSPORTS don't show address...........................Voter fraud......like voting fer the GREENS.... .....


  I stills has my olde red and white OHIP card with a wrong partial name on it......works fine fer the once a millenia time i need a checkup or my stomach pumped..... ..

   when i thunk of changing it i was told there was an "issue" with the newer cards..that made me say hey WDF change something that works....can't remember the snafu about the new cards now? maybe it has been sorted out................I'm still an illegal from the Hebrides as far as Health Canada is concerned then???!!!!  works fer ME........

[Railton]

PASSPORTS don't show address...........................Voter fraud......like voting fer the GREENS.... .....


  I stills has my olde red and white OHIP card with a wrong partial name on it......works fine fer the once a millenia time i need a checkup or my stomach pumped..... ..

   when i thunk of changing it i was told there was an "issue" with the newer cards..that made me say hey WDF change something that works....can't remember the snafu about the new cards now? maybe it has been sorted out................I'm still an illegal from the Hebrides as far as Health Canada is concerned then???!!!!  works fer ME........

yer show'n yer age again Old Timer!
Works for me too! No renewals necessary with the old red n'white.
Railton

[baumer00]

still have the old red and white one too, been told to hang on to it as long as possible
problem with the new ones is that they expire, pain in the arse to get a new one

[safristi]

...Yeah that woz tha Ticket the NEW ONES EXPIRE.!!! ....but the OLDE ONES LIVE FOREVER......... ........better keep the wedding tackle plumped UP.....

[wing]

Know what I foudn to be really wierd?  When I went to vote last week, they were accepting drivers' licenses or health cards as ID, but NOT PASSPORTS?

For one thing, I am 99.999% sure that Health Cards cannot be used as identification by governments or private citizens/stores/security personnel.
Another thing... not accepting passports as valid ID to vote? Why not? Aren't they valid pieces of identification?  The CBSA sure thinks so, yet the gov't won't allow them to be used for voting? Sheesh!

When i went to vote my g/f almost couldn't vote.  She doesn't have a driver's license -- she brought her passport and health card, but health card no longer has your address on it either (she JUST got a new one).

They let her vote anyways, what a dumb system -- but you could go in with your face covered and that is ok right?

[The Mighty Duck]

Know what I foudn to be really wierd?  When I went to vote last week, they were accepting drivers' licenses or health cards as ID, but NOT PASSPORTS?

For one thing, I am 99.999% sure that Health Cards cannot be used as identification by governments or private citizens/stores/security personnel.
Another thing... not accepting passports as valid ID to vote? Why not? Aren't they valid pieces of identification?  The CBSA sure thinks so, yet the gov't won't allow them to be used for voting? Sheesh!

Passport doesn't have your address on it.  If you have a passport and something with your address, that should be alright...  my housemate voted with her passport and a copy of our lease.

wing, worst comes to worst you could have always sworn an oath and she could have voted.

I found the system very easy to work with...  took my out of province driver's license and a phone bill, had no trouble registering and voting. 

/digression

[wing]

Your passport does have your address on it... but it is handwritten by you.

[safristi]

  BULLSHINE!!!! otherwise mine would say 10 SUSSEX DIVE!!!   OCC PRIME MISTER.................try crayoning in that on YOURS wing...................

[tenpenny]

still have the old red and white one too, been told to hang on to it as long as possible
problem with the new ones is that they expire, pain in the arse to get a new one

I'm surprised; in NB, they made all old Medicare cards invalid after a certain date.

They now expire every 2 or 3 years, but renewing is simple - all you need is the letter that you get in the mail. 

[RunsinLight]

If a health card could be obtained with very little to no proof that you are in some way a resident of the area it would make it easy for people to misuse the system.

[safristi]

Dyslexia is Not covered..........................

[barrie1]

TPL is 100% correct in that there is some much fraud happening in our health care system. I have a friend who works in the office here in London and have heard some of the most ridiculous stories you could ever imagine that people have attempted to pull. Like calling from Chicago and saying you live here and need a new card and are calling from your own home. This person had already been refused in Windsor Chatham and several other places before attempting the London Branch. She says to have your ID all ready for the 1st ticket wicket and you are then assigned a no. which can either put you way back in line or having to be interviewed. You could also be out in 15 minutes or less as well if you do it all correctly. Fill out all the forms before you approach the 1st person as it really does help. 

[dr_spock]

I still have the old red and white card.  I rarely use it and it is slowly crumbling in my wallet.  Not sure I want the hassle with the new version of the card.

[SkiBunny]

Last I heard, Ontario has around 12 million people but 20 million active health cards. 
That probably explains the hassle to renew them.

The old red and white ones are much better because the ontario government is contractually obligated to directly pay for medical services rendered elsewhere for you.  Not so with the new cards.  So keep good care of the old one.
 
 

[UmroAyyar]

Last I heard, Ontario has around 12 million people but 20 million active health cards. 
That probably explains the hassle to renew them.
The old red and white ones are much better because the ontario government is contractually obligated to directly pay for medical services rendered elsewhere for you.  Not so with the new cards.  So keep good care of the old one.
 
 

Where did you hear that?