> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.intelagent.ca/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Start here

> The registrations a new Ontario physician needs before a claim can be paid, in the order you need them

Nothing you bill gets paid until you're registered with the payer, and the
registrations depend on each other — the ministry won't issue a billing number
without a CPSO certificate, and you can't enrol in MC EDT without the identifiers
that arrive with the billing number. Work through them in order.

This section covers the setup that happens **outside** IntelAGENT. Once you have
a billing number and EDT access, [OHIP Onboarding](/docs/getting-started/onboarding)
takes about ten minutes and you're billing.

<Info>
  Written for physicians starting independent practice in Ontario, in any
  specialty. It assumes you hold a CPSO Certificate of Registration or are about to.
</Info>

## What you'll set up

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="OHIP billing number" icon="id-card" href="/docs/new-physician/ohip-billing-number">
    CPSO certificate, practice address, banking — then the ministry application.
  </Card>

  <Card title="EDT access" icon="key" href="/docs/new-physician/edt-access">
    GO Secure and MC EDT enrolment, the channel every electronic claim travels on.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Federal programs and WSIB" icon="shield-halved" href="/docs/new-physician/federal-and-wsib">
    Medavie Blue Cross for IFHP, CAF, RCMP and VAC patients. TELUS Health for WSIB.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Out-of-province patients" icon="map-location-dot" href="/docs/new-physician/out-of-province">
    Reciprocal billing, the Quebec exception, and UHIP students.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Your first year" icon="calendar-check" href="/docs/new-physician/first-year">
    How claims actually reach the ministry, and the two habits that pay for themselves.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The order, and how long each takes

| # | Step                    | What it is                                                 | Typical time                          |
| - | ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| 1 | **CPSO**                | Certificate of Registration for independent practice       | Apply 3–4 months before training ends |
| 2 | **OHIP billing number** | Ministry application with CPSO, banking and address        | 2–6 weeks                             |
| 3 | **GO Secure**           | The ministry sign-in account                               | Same day                              |
| 4 | **MC EDT enrolment**    | Electronic claim submission, using identifiers from step 2 | Same day                              |
| 5 | **IntelAGENT**          | Subscribe, designate, activate                             | Same day                              |
| 6 | **Medavie Blue Cross**  | IFHP, CAF, RCMP, VAC                                       | 1–3 weeks                             |
| 7 | **WSIB**                | Registration through TELUS Health                          | 1–2 weeks                             |
| 8 | **RAMQ** *(if needed)*  | Only if you see Quebec residents                           | 4–8 weeks, or per-claim by mail       |

Steps 1 through 4 are sequential — each one needs something the previous one
produces. Steps 6 through 8 are independent; start them whenever, and start them
early if you're heading into an ED, a walk-in, or anywhere near a campus.

<Tip>
  Processing times stretch in June, July and August, when every graduating cohort
  applies at once. If you're finishing training, start step 1 in the winter.
</Tip>

## Where IntelAGENT fits

IntelAGENT is the submission side, not the registration side. You still get your
own billing number and your own MC EDT enrolment — they're yours, in your name.
What IntelAGENT does is take the encounter you enter, build the ministry-format
claim file, submit it on schedule, pull the remittance advice back, and reconcile
what was paid against what you claimed.

Under PHIPA you remain the Health Information Custodian; IntelAGENT acts as your
agent, which is what the [MC EDT designation](/docs/getting-started/designation)
authorizes.

<Note>
  This section is general information for Ontario physicians, not legal, tax or
  billing advice. Programs, forms and fees change — confirm current details with
  the payer before you rely on them.
</Note>