October is Occupational Therapy Month!
If you or a family member has ever required Occupational Therapy Services please help us in the fight to get OT services covered by insurance companies across Canada! Physiotherapy, Massage Therapy and Chiropractic Treatments are all recognized and insured, but Occupational Therapy is not?
As occupational therapy becomes well-known and valued by health care consumers, many Canadians are disappointed to find that that their extended health insurance plans provide limited coverage for occupational therapy services. In order to encourage the coverage of these services, consumers need to contact their extended health insurers. Below is a letter that you can "cut and paste" into a word document to send to your insurance company to begin these conversations.
This letter is intended as a template and may be changed to specific needs and requirement. Let us know if your insurance company covers OT services and we will add the company name here, so others can see who which companies have jumped on board! We want to hear from you.
Address
Date
RE: Inclusion of occupational therapy services in health benefits plan
To Whom It May Concern:
I recently required the services of an occupational therapist and, to my dismay, I learned that my extended health benefits plan through your company does not cover these services. I am requesting coverage of occupational therapy services in my plan.
Occupational therapy is a recognized, registered health profession that provides a broad spectrum of client centered services that focus on health promotion, disability prevention, and functional restoration. Occupational therapy is offered in many settings including the home, workplace, community, hospitals, educational environments, and personal care homes. As part of insurable health service, occupational therapists seek to identify and address issues that affect disability, improve daily function and level of independence, and reduce disability claims by offering a perspective that encompasses both the physical and mental health of the individual. Occupational therapists are key members of health care teams; no comprehensive benefits package is complete without occupational therapy.
As a policyholder with your company, I would appreciate a response indicating when your company will cover occupational therapy services, which I feel is a valuable allied health provider, and whether or not a flexible plan is being considered as an option for your clients so that I may take advantage of the services that an occupational therapist would offer.
Sincerely,
Client’s name & insurance number