BetterGetting healthcare in Quebec can seem complicated, especially without a family doctor. The good news: you are entitled to care, there is a simple front door for almost every health question, and concrete help for living with a disability or getting to your appointments. Here is the tour.
For a health question, call 811, option 1 (Info-Santé): a nurse listens and tells you what to do, free of charge, 24/7. No family doctor? Register with the access counter, and call 811, option 3 for an appointment. In an emergency, 911. Keep your health insurance card valid.
Start hereWhat is your situation?
Choose the door that fits you best today.
When something is wrongA health question, feeling unwell
Before rushing to emergency, one simple reflex settles many situations: 811.
- 811, option 1, Info-Santé: a nurse assesses your situation and recommends what to do (treat it at home, see someone, where to go). Free, confidential, 24/7, 365 days a year.
- 911: for an emergencychest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding.
Without a family doctorSeeing someone anyway
Many people in Quebec have no family doctor, and that does not stop you from being treated. Two steps go together.
1. Register to obtain a family doctor
Put your name on the waiting list of the Quebec Family Doctor Finder (GAMF), online or by phone. You need a valid health insurance card, to be 14 or over and to live in Quebec. Since 2024, a specialised nurse practitioner (IPS) can also take you on.
2. Get an appointment in the meantime
Call 811, option 3, the Front-Line Access Counter (GAP): it is reserved for people with no family doctor. Your need is assessed and you are directed to the right professional. You can also book online (Clic Santé / Rendez-vous santé Québec).
Keep your card up to date. Your health insurance card (RAMQ) gives you access to covered care. Check its expiry date and renew it in time to avoid unpleasant surprises.
DisabilityLiving with a disability
A disability should never leave you without support. Several resources exist to inform you, support you and help you financially.
- Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ), 1 800 567-1465: information and guidance for people with disabilities and those close to them.
- Your CLSCfor home support and rehabilitation services (811 can point you in the right direction).
- Depending on your situation, you may be entitled to income support (including social solidarity) and to tax credits. We cover this in our article Social assistance, explained simply.
TransportGetting to your care appointments
Getting to an appointment should not be an obstacle. Two options depending on your situation.
- If a disability limits your travel, adapted transport can help. You apply to your municipality's adapted transport service, which assesses your eligibility (you receive a written answer within roughly 45 days).
- To be accompanied to a medical appointment, volunteer transport services exist (often through volunteer action centres), mainly for seniors and people with reduced mobility. 211 will tell you an organisation near you.
Without depending on anyoneWhat you can do yourself
Being well prepared makes every contact with the health network simpler. Here are steps you control on your own.
Prepare your "health file"
- Write an up-to-date list of your medications, your allergies and your health conditions, useful for every call or appointment.
- Keep your health insurance card valid and to hand; note its expiry date so you renew it in time.
- Before calling 811, note your symptoms: since when, where, how intense.
- Write your questions down before an appointment, you will forget nothing important.
- Keep your CLSC's and your pharmacy's contact details to hand.
- For medical transport, book a few days ahead and plan the return trip too.
One last wordYour health matters
Having no family doctor, or living with a disability, does not mean being left aside. The network has its front doors, and you now know them. Take one single step today: register with the counter, note your medications, or keep 811 in mind for next time. Looking after yourself is part of moving forward too.
Frequently askedYour questions
What do I do if I have a health question but no doctor?
Dial 811 and choose option 1 (Info-Santé): a nurse assesses your situation and tells you what to do, free of charge and 24/7. If it is urgent (chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness), call 911.
How do I get a family doctor in Quebec?
You can put your name on the waiting list of the Quebec Family Doctor Finder (GAMF), online or by phone. You need a valid health insurance card, to be 14 or over and to live in Quebec. A specialised nurse practitioner (IPS) can also take you on.
How do I see someone if I have no family doctor?
Dial 811 and choose option 3, the Front-Line Access Counter (GAP): reserved for people with no family doctor, it assesses your need and directs you to the right professional. You can also book online (Clic Santé / Rendez-vous santé Québec).
I have a disability: where can I find help and information?
The Office des personnes handicapées du Québec (OPHQ) informs and guides people with disabilities and those close to them, at 1 800 567-1465. Your CLSC also offers services, and financial help exists depending on your situation.
How do I get to my appointments if I cannot travel?
If you have a disability, adapted transport can help: you apply to your municipality's adapted transport service. For volunteer accompaniment to a medical appointment, 211 can tell you an organisation near you.
This may also helpOther needs
Do you need more help?
We are here to help you find the right door.
Sources
- Gouvernement du Québec, Info-Santé 811 (option 1 Info-Santé, option 3 GAP, in French)
- Gouvernement du Québec, Quebec Family Doctor Finder (in French)
- Gouvernement du Québec, Eligibility for adapted transport (in French)
- Québec.ca, Social participation of people with disabilities (OPHQ, in French)
- 211 Québec, accompaniment and transport
About this article. General information, accurate as of the date shown, this is not medical advice. For advice on your health, call 811; in an emergency, 911. Services and criteria vary and can change; 811 and 211 can always point you in the right direction. BetterWorld is a social-economy organisation, independent of the Government of Quebec.
Spotted an error or an out-of-date figure? Write to us: we will correct it and re-date the article. Our texts are written with the help of artificial intelligence and checked against official sources before publication, but an amount or a rule can change without us catching it. If anything here does not match what an official body tells you, they are right.