PODIATRISTS : UTILIZATION OF EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFITS IN ONTARIO

IN ONTARIO, PODIATRISTS CAN PARTIALLY BILL O.H.I.P.  FOR AN AMOUNT THAT WORKS OUT TO LESS THAN 20% OF THE TOTAL FEE.  THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF EXTENDED INURANCE PLANS WILL NOT PROVIDE ANY FUNDS TO THE PATIENT IF O.H.I.P IS PAYING, EVEN IF IT IS JUST A TINY PORTION ($11.00 IS THE MAXIMUM PER VISIT NOT INCLUDING X-RAYS).  THIS PLACES PODIATRISTS AT A DISADVANTAGE WHEN COMPARED TO ONTARIO CHIROPODISTS, AS CHIROPODISTS ARE COVERED FROM DAY ONE TO WHAT EVER EXTEND THEIR COVERAGE IS.  MYSELF, A RETIRED CHIROPRACTOR WAS PLACED IN THE SAME POSITION FOR OVER 20 YEARS AND THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENED WAS THE DAY WE COULD NO LONGER BILL O.H.I.P. AND OUR PATIENTS COULD UTILIZE THEIR FULL HEALTH BENEFITS.  ALTHOUGH WE FOUGHT TO RETAIN OUR RIGHT TO BILL O.H.I.P., IT WAS MORE OF A PRESTIGE ISSUE AND MOST PODIATRISTS KNOW THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF, ESPECIALLY FOR THEIR PATIENTS.  THE INCREASED PAPERWORK AND THE SMALL AMOUNT RECEIVED FROM THE PLAN ALONG WITH MANY PATIENTS INABILITY TO UTILIZE THEIR EXTENDED HEALTH BENEFITS, HARDLY MAKES IT WORTH WHILE.

IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING FOOT CARE FROM EITHER A PODIATRIST OR A CHIROPODIST, YOU SHOULD CONTACT YOUR EXTENDED HEALTH CARE PLAN TO INQUIRE IF YOU WILL BE REIMBURSED IF YOU ATTEND A PODIATRIST AND O.H.I.P. IS BILLED.  IN MANY CASES YOU WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED IF YOU ATTEND A PODIATRIST, WHEREAS YOU WILL WHEN YOU ATTEND A CHIROPODIST.  BOTH PODIATRISTS AND CHIROPODISTS ARE REGULATED BY THE COLLEGE OF CHIROPODISTS OF ONTARIO (CoCoO) TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY FOOT CARE TO ONTARIANS.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY DR. HARDY AND MARZ HARDY, D.Ch., B.Sc., PODIATRIC MEDICINE, TORONTO CHIROPODIST AND TORONTO FOOT SPECIALIST AND THE TEAM FROM ACADEMY FOOT AND ORTHOTIC CLINICS.