1. If your baby was born in Ontario
Question and answer
How do I get a health card for my baby?If your baby was born in Ontario, the process to apply for their Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card depends on:
- where they were born
- whether a registered midwife was present at their birth
Born in a hospital with a labour and delivery unit
Hospital staff will give you Form 4440-82: The Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form. This form is not available online.
The form asks for your baby's:
- name
- date of birth
- mailing address
The form also asks you to confirm that your baby will:
- live mainly in Ontario, and
- live in Ontario for at least 153 days, or about 5 months, in any 12 month-period.
After you fill out the form, the hospital staff or your midwife sends the top part of the form to the Government of Ontario.
Temporary card
The bottom part of the form has a health card number for your baby. You use this as your baby's temporary health card until you get your baby's OHIP card in the mail.
Born with a registered midwife present
Your registered midwife will give you Form 4440-82: The Ontario Health Coverage Infant Registration form. This form is not available online.
The form asks for your baby's:
- name
- date of birth
- mailing address
The form also asks you to confirm that your baby will:
- live mainly in Ontario, and
- live in Ontario for at least 153 days, or about 5 months, in any 12 month-period.
After you fill out the form, your midwife sends the top part of the form to the Government of Ontario.
Temporary card
The bottom part of the form has a health card number for your baby. You use this as your baby's temporary health card until you get your baby's OHIP card in the mail.
Born in a hospital without a labour and delivery unit and without a midwife
You must apply for your baby's OHIP card at a ServiceOntario centre.
If you go within 90 days of your baby's birth, bring proof of where your baby was born. For example, a letter from the hospital or the attending doctor.
If you go more than 90 days after your baby was born, bring proof of your child's Canadian citizenship, for example, their birth certificate.
Get your baby's health card
It usually takes ServiceOntario 6 weeks to process your form and mail your child's health card.
Contact ServiceOntario if you have any questions, or if more than 6 weeks have passed and you have not got your baby's OHIP card. You can call them at 1-866-532-3161 or 416-314-5518 from Toronto. For TTY, call 1-800-387-5559.
Born elsewhere in Ontario without a registered midwife
You follow this process to get your baby's OHIP card if you give birth at home, for example, without a registered midwife.
You must apply for your baby's OHIP card at a ServiceOntario centre. You need to bring your baby's:
- Ontario birth certificate, or
- Ontario Statement of Live Birth.
You must also fill out and bring Form 0265-82: Registration for Ontario Health Insurance Coverage. And you must bring documents that prove:
- your identity
- you live in Ontario
Form 9998E-82: Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Document List, lists all the types of documents you can use. For example, you can use a rental agreement or property tax bill to prove you live in Ontario. And you can use a passport, credit card, or a valid Ontario driver's licence or Photo Card to prove your identity.
You must bring original documents. Photocopies are not accepted.
Get your baby's health card
It usually takes ServiceOntario 6 weeks to process your form and mail your child's health card.
Contact ServiceOntario if you have any questions, or if more than 6 weeks have passed and you have not got your baby's OHIP card. You can call them at 1-866-532-3161 or 416-314-5518 from Toronto. For TTY, call 1-800-387-5559.