Frequently Asked Questions
Are you interested in becoming a patient?
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The Family Health Team is not a referral service or a walk-in clinic. Only patients who have their Family Doctor at the clinics are seen. Unfortunately, we are not taking new patients at this time.
If you do not currently have a family doctor in Ottawa, Health Care Connect may be able to help. Health Care Connect helps people from Ontario who do not have a family health-care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) to find one.
Please visit their website: http://www.ontario.ca/health-and-wellness/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner or give them a call at: 1 (800) 445-1822.
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Champlain Screening Outreach Program - Launched in July 2023, the Champlain Screening Outreach Program allows eligible individuals without a family doctor living in Eastern Ontario to access cancer screening (OHIP patients only). For more information, please visit:
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Are you from Quebec?
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If you live in the province of Quebec, or do not have provincial health coverage, all clinical visits are considered “fee for service” and are to be paid at your appointment. Payments can be made by debit, VISA, Mastercard, or cheque.
If you have a question about your invoice, please call our main clinic line, and select the telephone menu option for “billing inquiries.”
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Quebec Payment Reimbursement
Once payments have been received in full, a receipt will be issued along with the Out of Province claim form, which you can send to the Régie for reimbursement. You have a time period of 3 months from the date of your appointment in which you can receive reimbursement from the Régie.
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If you have any questions about your reimbursement, please contact the Régie directly at: 1-800-561-9749, or visit their website at: www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca. Régie de L’assurance maladie du Québec Case Postale 6600 – Succ Terminus Québec (Québec) G1K 7T3
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If you are a patient without any Canadian health coverage there may be a fee charged by The Ottawa Hospital, in addition to the medical fee for the services listed below. Please contact The Ottawa Hospital’s Financial Services Department directly at 613-761-4444 if you have any questions or would like more information
Prescription Renewals
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We do not normally renew medications by fax or phone. However, if you are in dire need, we will provide short-term prescriptions until you can come in for an appointment. Please note that there is a charge associated with this service. While you are here, this is also a great opportunity to:
Reassess your condition and evaluate your progress on the medication(s)
Assess whether any other medical problems have developed since your last visit
Update you on new medications
Answer any questions you may have regarding side effects
Tips for Managing your Prescriptions:
Make an appointment to come see us before your medication is finished. Make sure to call at least 2-3 weeks in advance.
Make sure that you have enough medication to last you until your next visit
Write down the date of your last refill on the calendar: If you run out in July, make sure to call to book an appointment to refill in June!
Bring ALL of your medications (no matter where they are obtained) to each appointment in order to ensure accurate refills and to keep the clinic medication list up to date
Referrals
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When it is necessary, patients are referred to other medical specialists who are not a part of our team. Your family doctor will determine if you need to see a specialist and will make the arrangements. If you feel you may need a referral, an appointment with your doctor is required to discuss this. If it is determined that a referral is indicated, your doctor will arrange for this.
Many common services do not require a referral. These include: massage therapy, physiotherapy, and orthotics/chiropody care. If you require a letter for your insurer to cover these services, please contact the clinic. As this is an uninsured service (ie. not covered by OHIP), there is a fee associated this. See the uninsured services FAQ for more details.
Uninsured Services
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As of July 1st, 2023 we have updated our billing policy. This includes fees for services such as:
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Prescription refills outside of appointments
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Massage/Physiotherapy insurance letters outside of appointments
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Forms, sick notes, etc
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Cosmetic procedures
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All other services not covered by OHIP
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See below/attached PDF for uninsured services fees.
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Missed appointments
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Our region is currently experiencing a serious shortage of family physicians despite a high demand for medical appointments. In order for us to provide access to the highest-quality care possible for all of our patients, we are trying to reduce the number of missed appointments in our clinic.
When you have a booked appointment, please either keep your appointment or cancel with at least 24 hours’ notice so that we can offer your appointment to another patient. As of July 1, 2023, if you miss your booked appointment without at least 24 hours’ notice, you will be charged $50 for a short and $100 for a long missed appointment.
If you need to cancel an appointment, please call the clinic more than 24 hours prior to your appointment. Please remember that The Ottawa Hospital’s Academic Family Health Team does not provide a walk-in service. You must have an appointment to see a physician or any of our team members.
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How do I activate MyChart?
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MyChart is a secure, online patient portal that makes it easy for you to access your health information from anywhere, at any time and at no cost. It is also a fast and easy way for the Family Health Team to send you letters and important messages.
To sign up and for more details, please visit the main MyChart website on The Ottawa Hospital’s website here: https://www.ottawahospital.on.ca/en/patients-visitors/mychart/.