Ten Canadian virtual clinics issue sick notes online. Flat-fee options run $35 to $55, Rocket Doctor and TELUS Health MyCare are covered with an eligible health card, and Maple and Médecin de Famille cost the most. Every provider requires a real assessment first.
The 10 clinics, side by side
Sorted by our ranking. Scroll the table sideways on a phone — or skip to the full write-ups below.
| # | Clinic | Price | Best for | Where | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TelePlus Carethis site | $35–$45 | A cheap flat fee, anywhere in Canada | All provinces | Same day, note emailed after the visit |
| 2 | Rocket Doctor | Up to $74 | Alberta and BC patients with coverage | Ontario, BC, Alberta, Atlantic Canada | Depends on appointment availability |
| 3 | TELUS Health MyCare | Up to $70 | Health-card covered visits in BC, AB, ON | BC, Alberta, Ontario and select others | By appointment — often 24–72 hours |
| 4 | Walk-In.ca | $45 | British Columbia residents | British Columbia only | Note emailed within a few hours of the visit |
| 5 | MedLetter | $49 | Alberta patients who only want the note | Alberta (verify current coverage) | Same day, seven days a week |
| 6 | Medinote | $55 | Getting the note in your hand fastest | All 10 provinces | PDF emailed within about 30 minutes |
| 7 | Tia Health | $55–$69 | Patients already using Tia for other care | BC, Alberta and Ontario covered; others by receipt | Issued after the consultation |
| 8 | Your Doctors Online | $50 | Households wanting year-round access | Canada-wide | Notes issued in minutes |
| 9 | Maple | From $85/mo | Families already covered by an employer plan | Canada-wide, 24/7 | On-demand access |
| 10 | Médecin de Famille | $145–$180 | Quebec patients with private insurance | Quebec-focused, available across Canada | PDF note within minutes |
What the research found
- Flat-fee sick notes at Canadian virtual clinics run from $35 to $55, while private consultations reach $180.
- Rocket Doctor primary care is covered with an Alberta or BC health card, but Ontario primary care lost its OHIP funding.
- TELUS Health MyCare is covered with a BC, Alberta or Ontario health card and $70 without one, but appointments often book 24 to 72 hours out.
- The lowest published flat fee in this comparison is $35 with an Alberta Health Card.
- Medinote publishes the fastest turnaround — a signed PDF about 30 minutes after the phone call.
- In Ontario, employers generally cannot demand a note for the three ESA-protected sick days.
- No Canadian clinic can promise a note before a licensed doctor has assessed you.
How we ranked them
We ranked on what decides a sick day: total cost to you, whether the provider serves your province, how quickly the signed note arrives, and how clearly the terms are published before you pay. Providers covered by a provincial health plan rank well when that coverage is real and reachable, and are marked down where funding was withdrawn or waits are long. This is a practical buying comparison, not a clinical quality ranking — every provider listed uses clinicians licensed in Canada.
The full ranking
Rank 1: TelePlus Care
A cheap flat fee, anywhere in Canada
We publish this guide — pricing shown is our own published fee.
The lowest published flat fee of any provider on this list, with the same price whether you are in Halifax or Victoria.
- Provinces
- All provinces
- Appointment
- Phone or secure video
- Note arrives
- Same day, note emailed after the visit
What works
- Cheapest published fee in this comparison, and the price is shown before you book
- One price nationwide — no province-by-province surprise at checkout
- Canadian-licensed doctor assesses you by phone or video, whichever you prefer
- Signed note arrives by email, so there is nothing to pick up
What to watch
- Private fee — it is not billed to your provincial health plan
- A note is issued only when the doctor judges it clinically appropriate
Rank 2: Rocket Doctor
Alberta and BC patients with coverage
Covered by the provincial plan in Alberta and British Columbia, which is hard to beat if you live there and can get a slot.
- Provinces
- Ontario, BC, Alberta, Atlantic Canada
- Appointment
- Video or live text chat
- Note arrives
- Depends on appointment availability
What works
- Primary care is covered by your provincial plan with a valid Alberta or BC health card
- Live text chat option if you would rather not talk on the phone
- Substance-use specialist services remain fully OHIP-covered
What to watch
- Ontario primary and urgent care lost OHIP funding — expect $65 for video with a physician assistant or $74 for text chat with a doctor
- BC currently warns of extended wait times from high demand
- Covered access depends on a slot being open, which is not guaranteed on a sick day
Rank 3: TELUS Health MyCare
Health-card covered visits in BC, AB, ON
Covered by MSP, AHCIP and OHIP and backed by a large national company — if you can book an appointment in time.
- Provinces
- BC, Alberta, Ontario and select others
- Appointment
- App-based video appointment
- Note arrives
- By appointment — often 24–72 hours
What works
- Covered by MSP, AHCIP and OHIP for eligible residents, with no paperwork to reclaim
- Established provider with published privacy commitments
- Same platform handles prescriptions and follow-up care
What to watch
- Appointment slots are limited and can fill quickly
- The wait can outlast the sick day you needed documented
- Requires the app rather than a plain browser visit
Rank 4: Walk-In.ca
British Columbia residents
A $45 flat fee with the honest disclosure that MSP will never cover a sick note — useful clarity if you are in BC.
- Provinces
- British Columbia only
- Appointment
- Same-day virtual appointment
- Note arrives
- Note emailed within a few hours of the visit
What works
- Clear single fee with no membership attached
- Same-day booking is the norm rather than the exception
- States plainly that MSP does not insure sick notes, so the price is never a surprise
What to watch
- BC only — no help if you are outside the province
- Priced above the cheapest national option
Rank 5: MedLetter
Alberta patients who only want the note
A documents-first service at $49, seven days a week, but its coverage is concentrated in Alberta.
- Provinces
- Alberta (verify current coverage)
- Appointment
- Virtual assessment
- Note arrives
- Same day, seven days a week
What works
- Built specifically around medical documents rather than general care
- Weekend availability, which matters when the absence is Saturday
- Flat published price
What to watch
- Provincial coverage claims vary between its own pages — confirm it serves you before paying
- Narrower service than a full virtual clinic
Rank 6: Medinote
Getting the note in your hand fastest
The fastest published turnaround here: a phone call, then the signed note in your inbox roughly half an hour later.
- Provinces
- All 10 provinces
- Appointment
- Phone consultation, 5–10 minutes
- Note arrives
- PDF emailed within about 30 minutes
What works
- Publishes a specific turnaround — around 30 minutes after the call
- Works in a browser with no app download
- Covers mental-health-related absences, not only physical illness
- Note omits your diagnosis, which keeps details from your employer
What to watch
- $10–$20 more than the cheapest flat-fee options
- Private pay only — nothing is billed to a provincial plan
Rank 7: Tia Health
Patients already using Tia for other care
Solid coverage across BC, Alberta and Ontario, though the note itself carries a fee even when your visit is insured.
- Provinces
- BC, Alberta and Ontario covered; others by receipt
- Appointment
- Virtual appointment, 5–30 minutes
- Note arrives
- Issued after the consultation
What works
- Telehealth visits are covered by MSP, AHCIP and OHIP
- Patients elsewhere get a receipt that may be claimable through a health spending account
- Full virtual clinic, not just a note service
What to watch
- The note is a separate charge on top of an otherwise covered visit
- Delivery timing is not published
Rank 8: Your Doctors Online
Households wanting year-round access
A subscription rather than a one-off fee — excellent value if you will use it repeatedly, poor value for a single note.
- Provinces
- Canada-wide
- Appointment
- 24/7 chat and virtual consultation
- Note arrives
- Notes issued in minutes
What works
- One plan covers unlimited consultations and prescriptions, not just the note
- Available 24/7, including the middle of the night
- Unlimited consultations, so repeat use costs nothing extra
- Notes carry the doctor's signature, credentials and clinic details
What to watch
- A recurring charge — cancel it or it keeps billing after your sick day
- A recurring plan costs more than a $35 one-off if you only ever need one note
- Patients under 16 need an adult present
Rank 9: Maple
Families already covered by an employer plan
The best-known name in Canadian virtual care, but membership pricing makes it an expensive way to obtain a single note.
- Provinces
- Canada-wide, 24/7
- Appointment
- Video or messaging with a doctor or nurse practitioner
- Note arrives
- On-demand access
What works
- Genuinely 24/7 on-demand care rather than scheduled appointments
- No separate charge for the note beyond the consultation fee
- Many employers and benefits providers cover Maple outright — check before paying
- One membership covers the whole family
What to watch
- The most expensive route on this list for a one-time note
- Single-visit pricing without a membership runs far above the flat-fee services
- Only worth it if you already have coverage or will use it monthly
Rank 10: Médecin de Famille
Quebec patients with private insurance
Quebec-licensed physicians and a note within minutes, at a price that only makes sense if your insurer reimburses it.
- Provinces
- Quebec-focused, available across Canada
- Appointment
- Virtual consultation
- Note arrives
- PDF note within minutes
What works
- Physicians licensed by the Collège des médecins du Québec
- Note delivered as a PDF within minutes of the consultation
- Insurers including Desjardins, Blue Cross and Canada Life may cover part or all of it
What to watch
- Three to five times the cost of the cheapest flat-fee providers
- Does not bill RAMQ and does not deal with your insurer for you
- You pay upfront and claim it back yourself
Prices were read from each provider's own public pages on August 7, 2026. They change without notice and vary by province, appointment type, membership and health-card eligibility. Confirm the final amount at the provider's checkout before paying.
Work out whether you need to pay at all
Before you hand over a card, check two things. First, whether your province funds virtual primary care: Alberta and BC health cards still cover a Rocket Doctor primary care appointment, and a BC, Alberta or Ontario card covers TELUS Health MyCare — when a slot is open. Second, whether your employer can legally ask for the note. Ontario's Employment Standards Act protects three sick days a year for eligible employees, and an employer generally cannot require a doctor's note for those specific days. Plenty of people pay for documentation their workplace was never entitled to demand.
- Check your provincial coverage first — a funded appointment beats every paid option here.
- Read your workplace policy and your province's employment standards before booking.
- Longer absences, benefits claims and return-to-work paperwork follow different rules than a one-day absence.
- If a funded slot is not available today, a flat fee is usually cheaper than losing another day's pay.
What actually happens in a sick-note appointment
You fill in a short health form, list the days you missed and the date you expect to return, then speak with a Canadian-licensed doctor by phone or video. Most of these calls run five to fifteen minutes. The doctor reviews your symptoms and decides whether a note, modified duties, or a referral for in-person care is the right outcome. The signed note is emailed to you as a PDF. It confirms you were assessed and states the dates you were unfit for work — it does not name your diagnosis, so your employer learns nothing about your medical history.
- Have your exact absence dates and expected return date ready before the call.
- Upload your employer, school or insurer form in advance if one is required.
- Confirm the appointment format — phone, video or text chat — before you pay.
- Ask how and when the note is delivered so you know what to tell your manager.
Flat fee, subscription, or covered visit — which model fits
The ten providers here use three different pricing models, and picking the wrong one is how a $35 note turns into $85 a month. A flat fee suits the one-off sick day: you pay once, you are done. A subscription only wins if your household will genuinely use virtual care several times a year. A health-card-covered visit bills your provincial plan instead of you, but it depends on an appointment being available on the day you are actually sick, which is the catch.
- One-off absence: choose a flat fee — the cheapest here is $35 with an Alberta Health Card, $45 elsewhere.
- Recurring need: a subscription only pays off if your household uses virtual care several times a year.
- Have employer benefits? Check whether Maple or a similar service is already paid for before you spend anything.
- Compare the total, not the headline — memberships, form fees, follow-ups and rush options all differ.
How to spot a sick-note site that will get you in trouble
A note is a medical document signed by a clinician who assessed you. Any site that generates one instantly, hides the clinician's name, or guarantees approval before hearing a single symptom is selling you something an employer can invalidate with one phone call — and using it can be treated as fraud. Every provider on this list requires a real assessment by a clinician licensed in Canada. That is the line worth checking before you pay anyone.
- Confirm the clinician is licensed to practise in your province, and that their name and credentials appear on the note.
- Walk away from any site promising a guaranteed note before an assessment.
- Look for a working contact method and a published privacy policy.
- Read the refund and cancellation terms before payment, not after.
- Check that your employer or school accepts an electronic PDF rather than a paper original.
Questions patients ask
What is the cheapest way to get a sick note in Canada?
The lowest published flat fee in this comparison is $35 with an active Alberta Health Card, or $45 in the rest of Canada. Health-card-covered appointments through Rocket Doctor or TELUS Health MyCare cost you nothing directly, but they depend on a slot being open on the day you are actually sick, which is the trade-off.
Are online sick notes legal in Canada?
Yes. A note issued by a physician or nurse practitioner licensed in your province after a virtual assessment carries the same weight as one from a walk-in clinic. What is not legitimate is a note produced without any clinical assessment — those are the sites to avoid.
How fast can I get an online sick note?
Same-day is standard across these providers. Medinote publishes the fastest specific turnaround, sending the signed PDF roughly 30 minutes after a five-to-ten-minute phone call, and Your Doctors Online states notes are issued within minutes. Covered appointments through TELUS Health MyCare are the slowest, often booking 24 to 72 hours out.
Can my employer make me get a doctor's note?
It depends on your province and the length of the absence. In Ontario, an employer generally cannot require a note for the three sick days protected under the Employment Standards Act. Longer absences, extra company sick days, benefits claims and return-to-work processes follow different rules, so check your workplace policy before you pay for documentation.
Will the note tell my employer what is wrong with me?
No. A properly written sick note confirms you were assessed and states the dates you were unfit for work, plus any restrictions on your duties. It does not disclose your diagnosis. Providers including Medinote state this explicitly.
Can an online doctor guarantee I will get a note?
No, and any service claiming otherwise is a warning sign. A Canadian-licensed doctor has to assess you and decide whether a note is clinically appropriate. If your symptoms need a physical exam or a test, the right outcome is a referral for in-person care, not a note.
Are the prices on this page exact?
Each figure was read from the provider's own public pages on August 7, 2026, and is stated here as they publish it. Prices change without notice and can vary by province, appointment type, membership status and health-card eligibility. Confirm the final amount on the provider's own checkout before paying.
Ready when you are
Get your sick note today
A Canadian-licensed doctor assesses you by phone or secure video and emails a signed note when it is clinically appropriate. $35 with an Alberta Health Card, $45 elsewhere in Canada.