Tourists, visiting family members, parents and grandparents on super visas — anyone staying in Ontario can see a licensed Ontario physician through Doctor Fran. Book by app, pay by card, and a doctor calls you, typically the same day.
Can a visitor to Ontario see a doctor through Doctor Fran?
Yes, as long as you are physically in Ontario during the consultation. No OHIP, health card or Canadian ID is needed. You book and pay by card in the app, and a physician licensed in Ontario calls you, typically the same day. Doctor Fran does not serve patients in other provinces.
What does super visa insurance have to cover?
Canada requires private insurance with “a minimum emergency coverage of $100,000”, valid for at least a year, covering health care, hospitalisation and repatriation. Nothing in that requirement obliges an insurer to pay for a routine appointment, a repeat prescription or the ongoing management of an existing condition.
Does super visa insurance pay for a routine doctor's visit?
Generally no. The six Canadian insurers' policy wordings we read in August 2026 were all emergency medical insurance, and several exclude routine check-ups, chronic condition management and follow-ups after a covered emergency by name.
Can an Ontario pharmacy fill a prescription from my home country?
No. A prescription written outside Canada cannot be dispensed by an Ontario pharmacy. An Ontario physician needs to assess your parent and write a new one, and most super visa policies do not cover repeat prescribing, so this is usually paid out of pocket.
When should a visitor go to the emergency room instead?
For chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or confusion or unresponsiveness, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not wait for a phone appointment, and do not wait to call your insurer first.
Do I need to call my insurer before seeing a doctor?
With some policies, yes. At least one insurer says you must contact its travel assistance line before going to a hospital or clinic, or the claim may be denied. Save the assistance number from your certificate before you need it.
The situation
Getting sick away from home is stressful enough
Visitors to Canada aren't covered by OHIP, and finding a clinic that takes uninsured patients — let alone one with same-day availability — can be difficult. Emergency rooms will see you, but for non-emergencies the cost and the wait are hard to justify.
Doctor Fran gives visitors a simpler option: a phone consultation with a physician licensed in Ontario, booked from wherever you're staying. If you have travel insurance or super visa medical insurance, we provide a receipt you can submit for reimbursement — check your policy's terms.
No OHIP, health card, or Canadian ID requirements to book
Same-day phone consultations from wherever you're staying in Ontario
Treatment for common issues — infections, UTIs, minor illness
Receipts for travel insurance and super visa insurance claims
For emergencies, always call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room
If you're here on a super visa
Your insurance covers less than you think
To get a super visa, Canada requires proof of private health insurance providing “a minimum emergency coverage of $100,000”, valid for at least a year, covering health care, hospitalisation and repatriation. The word doing the work in that sentence is emergency.
Nothing in the requirement obliges an insurer to pay for a routine appointment, a repeat prescription, or the ongoing management of a condition your parent already has. We read six Canadian insurers' policy wordings in August 2026, and every one of them is emergency medical insurance. Several exclude routine check-ups, chronic condition management and even follow-ups after a covered emergency, by name.
That leaves a real gap for a parent who may be in Canada for up to five years at a time. Our guide to what super visa insurance won't cover explains the exclusions and the stability period — the clause that most often causes a claim to be refused — and our side-by-side comparison of six super visa plans sets out how each insurer differs on the terms that actually decide a claim.
When to use us, and when not to
A phone consultation isn't always the right answer
If your parent has chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or is confused or unresponsive, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Do not wait for a phone appointment, and do not wait to call your insurer first — no policy expects you to.
There are also times when something cheaper will do. Health811 gives free registered-nurse advice on 811, around the clock, and can tell you what is open near you. Our guide to where to take a parent who is unwell sets out when the emergency room is the right call and what Ontario hospitals publish for uninsured visitors. If your parent is a student's family member or you have extended coverage through a workplace plan, check what it already includes before paying privately.
Where a phone consultation genuinely helps is the ordinary middle: an infection, a urinary tract infection, a rash, a chest cold that isn't settling, a medication that has run out, or a form that needs completing. A prescription that has run out is the most common of these, because a prescription written outside Canada cannot be filled by an Ontario pharmacy. Those are the things that fall outside emergency cover and outside emergency rooms — and they are the reason this service exists.
FAQ
Questions from visitors
Yes — as long as you're physically in Ontario during your consultation. You pay by credit or debit card in the app; no Canadian health coverage is needed.
Many travel and super visa insurance policies reimburse visits with licensed physicians. Doctor Fran provides a receipt for your claim — coverage depends on your policy, so check its terms.
Not yet — Doctor Fran currently serves patients located in Ontario only.
Generally no. Canada only requires super visa insurance to provide a minimum of $100,000 in emergency coverage, and every policy we reviewed in August 2026 is emergency medical insurance. Routine check-ups, ongoing management of a chronic condition and non-urgent consultations are excluded by name in several wordings.
A prescription written outside Canada cannot be dispensed by an Ontario pharmacy, so an Ontario physician needs to assess your parent and write a new one. Most super visa policies do not cover repeat prescribing — one insurer excludes refills and the associated physician's fee by name — so this is usually an out-of-pocket cost.
With some policies, yes. At least one insurer states that you must contact its travel assistance line before going to a hospital or clinic, or the claim may be denied. Check your certificate and save the assistance number before you need it. In a genuine emergency, call 911 first.
Sources & references: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — super visa medical-insurance requirements; Ontario Ministry of Health — OHIP eligibility; College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) — public register. For general information only; not medical, legal, or insurance advice.
Don't let illness derail your visit.
Download Doctor Fran and speak with a licensed Ontario physician from wherever you're staying.