Everything about seeing a doctor in Ontario — with or without OHIP

No. Doctor Fran is designed for people without OHIP coverage — including international students, visitors to Ontario, newcomers waiting for their OHIP card, and work permit holders — as well as anyone who needs services not covered by OHIP. You pay directly in the app with a credit or debit card.

Yes. OHIP is how the province pays for insured residents' care — it is not a requirement to receive care. Patients without OHIP can pay for medical services directly, which is exactly how Doctor Fran works.

Anyone in Ontario. It was built especially for people without OHIP — international students, visitors and tourists, newcomers waiting for their OHIP card, work permit holders, and people with expired or lost health cards — but patients with OHIP who have no family doctor, or who need uninsured services like sick notes, use it too.

Yes. If your OHIP application is still processing, your card hasn't arrived, or you're not yet eligible, you can see a doctor through Doctor Fran and pay directly in the app.

No. Ontario removed the three-month waiting period in March 2020. You must still meet eligibility and residency requirements, and applications take time to process — Doctor Fran can help while your coverage gets sorted.

Yes — as long as you're physically in Ontario during your consultation. Tourists, visiting family members, and parents or grandparents on super visas are all welcome. No Canadian health coverage or Canadian ID is needed to book.

Patients under 18 need a parent or legal guardian involved. If you're a parent registering on behalf of your child, you consent to their care and manage the booking through your account.

Doctor Fran currently serves patients located in Ontario, Canada only. We're working to expand to other provinces.

Every appointment — sick notes, referrals, prescription refills, mental health, lab requisitions, and general consultations — is a flat $82 CAD with no hidden fees. Documents like sick notes are included in that price, not billed extra, and there are no membership or subscription fees. The one exception is insurance and disability forms, which are priced separately and shown in the app before you book.

By credit or debit card directly in the app when you book. No health card, no billing paperwork.

Doctor Fran provides a receipt for every consultation. Many UHIP, private, employer, travel, and super visa insurance plans reimburse eligible visits with Ontario-licensed physicians — coverage depends on your plan, so check its terms or ask your insurer.

Generally no — services you pay for privately before your OHIP coverage begins aren't reimbursed by OHIP.

Email [email protected] and our support team will sort it out — typically within one business day.

A licensed Ontario physician will typically call you the same day you complete your booking and payment — often shortly after.

After you book and pay through the app, a physician calls you directly on your phone. The consultation happens over a phone call — no video required, no travel needed.

Yes. Every physician on Doctor Fran is licensed to practise medicine in Ontario and registered with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Your consultation is never with a chatbot or a nurse line.

Yes. Doctor Fran is administered by Sheppard Victoria Medical Clinic in North York, and walk-in patients are welcome.

Call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Doctor Fran is for non-emergency care only.

Sick notes for work or school, specialist referrals, prescription refills, mental health concerns like anxiety and depression, insurance and disability forms, lab test requisitions, and general consultations for any health question.

Yes — a flat $82 covers the consultation and the note itself, with no separate document fee and no OHIP or health card needed. Sick notes are generally an uninsured service in Ontario anyway, meaning even patients with OHIP typically pay for them. More about sick notes.

No. The physician must assess you first and will only issue a note where it's clinically appropriate. This protects the integrity of the documents you receive.

Yes. Doctor Fran is PHIPA-compliant. Your personal health information is encrypted, stored securely, and never shared without your consent. See our privacy policy for details.