How Health Care Connect works

On your behalf, a Care Connector will search for a primary care clinician who is accepting new patients in your community.

A primary care clinician could be a:

  • family doctor
  • nurse practitioner, or
  • primary care team

You can register yourself and also your whole family for Health Care Connect.

Your Care Connector will make the best effort to match you to a primary care clinician that suits your needs in a timely manner. They will match those who need urgent care first.

You can register in either English or French.

Register for Health Care Connect

Register online

Register by phone

Call 811 (TTY: 711), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you have used Health Care Connect before, you will only be able to re-register by calling 811.

What you need to register

When registering with Health Care Connect either online or by phone, you must provide:

  • your contact information
  • a valid Ontario health card number (found on the front of your health card)
  • your basic health information
    • For example, pregnant or children under 2, chronic health conditions, disability, self-assessed mental health status.
    • How much health information you provide is up to you. However, providing this information will help your Care Connector match you to a primary care clinician that best suits your needs.

Note that:

  • the mailing address provided must be associated with your health card
  • if your health card expires at any point during the referral process, you may experience delays in being connected to a primary care clinician

Learn how to update your address.

After you register

You will get a letter in the mail to confirm your registration and outline what to expect as you wait to be connected to primary care.

You may also be contacted to verify your registration information before being connected to a clinician. If you are contacted, you will be able to share additional preferences if you choose to at this time. Your clinician preferences may impact the amount of time it takes to connect you to primary care.

Joining Health Care Connect does not guarantee that a primary care clinician will be found for you immediately.

When you are matched to a primary care clinician

You will get a referral letter in the mail with the name of the primary care clinician or team that you have been referred to.

The primary care clinician you are referred to will contact you to schedule an initial appointment.

After an appointment, you and the clinician will decide whether to go ahead with ongoing care. If you choose not to go ahead, you can register for Health Care Connect again by calling 811.

Update or withdraw your registration

Update your information if there are any changes

Keeping your information up-to-date will help you get matched to a primary care clinician faster.

Please update your Health Care Connect registration online with any new information, such as new address, contact details, health card number, or change in health needs.

You can withdraw by phone toll-free at 811 (TTY: 711), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also update your health card information:

Change the address on your health card

Renew your health card

Withdraw from Health Care Connect

You may withdraw online from Health Care Connect at any time if you no longer need support.

You can siwthdraw by phone toll-free at 811 (TTY: 711), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also make changes by phone at Toll-free: 811, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For primary care clinicians

Find specific Health Care Connect information for primary care clinicians, including how to join Health Care Connect.