How do I register with the Guichet d’accès à un médecin de famille (GAMF)?

The Guichet d’accès à un médecin de famille (GAMF) lets you register on a waiting list to find a family doctor, a specialized nurse practitioner in primary care (IPSPL) or a group of doctors that accepts new patients. You can register online or by phone. To register, you must, among other things, have a valid health insurance card, not already be registered with a family doctor or an IPSPL, and be 14 or older. Once you are registered, your request is assessed and given a priority based on your health condition. According to the official page, it is impossible to predict precisely how long you will stay on the waiting list.

Estimate your situation

RAMQ Quebec calculator: waiting period, contributions, coverage ↗ Tool offered by ITAG

Demande au Québec is published by ITAG, which also offers these tools. They give an estimate, not an official decision. Some require creating an account, free or paid depending on the tool. This link is not a source.

Key facts

Who can register

Valid health insurance card, not already registered with a family doctor or an IPSPL, up-to-date address at RAMQ, 14 or older, living in Quebec with a postal code listed by Canada Post.

How

Online (GAMF or Carnet santé Québec) or by phone with the GACO for your area.

Priority

Given based on your health condition after your request is assessed.

Waiting time

Impossible to predict precisely; it varies with the availability of doctors and IPSPLs in your region and the number of registrations on your area’s waiting list.

Nunavik and Terres-Cries-de-la-Baie-James

Doctors and IPSPLs in these regions cannot register patients: you must contact your health centre.

Steps

1. Check the eligibility criteria: have a valid health insurance card; not already be registered with a family doctor or an IPSPL; live at the address in your RAMQ file; be 14 or older (if you are under 14, another person aged 14 or older must register you); live in Quebec and have a postal code listed by Canada Post.
2. Register on the GAMF waiting list: online, at the Guichet d’accès à un médecin de famille; online, at Carnet santé Québec; or by phone, by contacting the Guichet d’accès pour la clientèle orpheline (GACO) for your area.
3. Your request is assessed and given a priority based on your health condition.
4. Keep your contact information up to date (phone numbers and email): if you cannot be reached, your request could be suspended. You can update your registration online (GAMF or Carnet santé Québec) or by phone with the GACO. For a new address, use the Service québécois de changement d’adresse: it will be updated automatically at the GAMF.
5. Report any change in your health condition, online, at the GAMF. You can also ask for an assessment by a nurse, if your area’s GACO offers this service: the nurse can update the priority given to your registration.
6. If you are on the waiting list and want to see a doctor or an IPSPL, you can contact the Guichet d’accès à la première ligne (GAP) in your region: you will be directed to the service that best meets your needs.

General information drawn from official sources. It does not replace legal, medical or financial advice. For your situation, contact the organization concerned or a professional.