How People Can Access Physiotherapy

Many people either pay for their physiotherapy treatment (also called out-of-pocket, or self-pay) or have some coverage for physiotherapy through their work health insurance plans. Search the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario public physiotherapist portal. Ontario Health811 is a free, secure and confidential service you can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get health advice or find health services or information.

Some private practice clinics will either submit your receipt to insurance for you and bill the company directly. Alternatively, you will pay and then submit the receipt to your insurer for reimbursement.

What to consider if you have health care insurance:

• Do you require a physician referral? Physiotherapists do not need one to treat you, but your insurance may not cover your care without one.
• Does your insurance have a per-visit maximum? In other words, will they only pay up to a certain amount per visit? If the physiotherapist’s rate is higher, you will be responsible for the difference.
• Does your plan have an annual limit?
• Is your physiotherapy coverage combined with any other types of healthcare? Some plans have a total amount that they will pay for a group of healthcare providers, such as athletic therapy, massage therapy, vision care and more. 
• How does your insurance company handle claims? Can the physiotherapist bill them directly for their services, or do you have to pay up front and submit an invoice?

If you are injured at work, you have the right to receive physiotherapy that is covered by the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB). You do not need a physician or nurse to refer you, and you can choose which physiotherapist you see, as long as they are registered with WSIB. You can find out if a physiotherapist is registered with WSIB by calling and asking, or by searching WSIB’s provider directories for musculoskeletal injuries and mild traumatic brain injuries.

Please note that you must file a report to WSIB as soon as possible and you have 6 months from the date of injury to claim this coverage. It is recommended that you seek care as soon as possible to optimize your recovery.

If you are injured in a car accident, your physiotherapy treatment is covered by your auto insurance plan. To access physiotherapy care after a motor vehicle accident, you must first report your injury to your insurance company. Then, contact a physiotherapy clinic or home care service of your choice and verify that they accept auto insurance claims. Please note that some insurance companies will suggest clinics for you to attend, but this is not a requirement. You have the right to attend any clinic of your choice, so long as they accept auto insurance claims.

The type and severity of injuries determines the amount of coverage you have access to through your auto insurance provider. The limits to coverage for medical/rehabilitation benefits is set out in government regulation though some auto insurance plans have options for additional coverage. Currently, government regulations require you to use any private health insurance before using your auto insurance, although there are plans to change this restriction.

Primary care is one of the first points of access to publicly funded health care services in the community. There are a variety of primary care organizations including Family Health Teams (FHT), Community Health Centres (CHC), Nurse-Practitioner Led Clinics (NPLC), and Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHAC) and the type of health care providers varies across organizations. This means that not every primary care organization will have a physiotherapist on staff. If you are unsure, please contact your local organization to ask. To see a physiotherapist at a primary care organization, you typically do not need a referral note from a family doctor or nurse practitioner. You can likely self-refer by calling or going in-person.

Some organizations will only offer physiotherapy to patients whose family doctors or nurse practitioners work in the centre. If your family doctor or nurse practitioner does not work in a primary care centre, or if you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, please contact your local primary organization to ask if you are eligible to receive care.

Look for your local primary care option:

• Family Health Team (FHT)
• Community Health Centre (CHC)
• Aboriginal Health Access Centre (AHAC)
• Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics

Patients who meet the criteria receive an ‘episode of care’ for their condition/diagnosis.  Patients cannot be charged for these services. With a valid Ontario health card, you can receive this government-funded physiotherapy at a designated Community Physiotherapy Clinic (CPC) if you are: 

• 65 years or older
• 19 years or under
• Any age after an overnight hospital stay or an outpatient/day surgery procedure (within the last 12 months) for a condition requiring physiotherapy
• A recipient of the Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program (any age, OHIP card not required)

Find a CPC close to you: View the Ministry of Health list of clinics

Read the CPC patient information sheet open_in_new

Search for physiotherapists in your area that offer home care with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario public physiotherapist portal. 

Contact Ontario Health at Home in your area: Ontario Health atHome

Physiotherapy services are available to residents of long-term care homes in Ontario from physiotherapists who work directly in the facilities. Access these services by speaking with LTC staff. Services can include one-on-one physiotherapy and group exercise classes. 

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides limited coverage for specific groups in Canada, including refugees. The coverage is paid for by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The IFHP can be used when an individual does not have access to any provincial or territorial health care coverage.

• Find out more

Publicly funded and free to access Falls Prevention Classes and Exercise Classes are held in communities across Ontario. Visit thehealthline.ca/ and look at your region to find a Falls Prevention Class or an Exercise Class. 

If you have recently had surgery for a total hip, knee or shoulder arthroplasty (hip, knee or shoulder replacement) at a hospital, your team will connect you with physiotherapy clinics that are participating with them in bundled care or talk to you about other options if they are more appropriate. 
 
Bundled care is a provincial funding model that is designed to promote greater integration in health care delivery, drive high-quality, efficient care and improve patient outcomes and experience. 
 
After your surgery, you will be able to access physiotherapy at no cost through providers that are connected to your surgeon’s hospital. 
 
Please reach out to your hospital’s Patient Care Coordinator or your surgeon’s office for more information about accessing physiotherapy care at no cost following your knee or hip replacement. 

Physiotherapists work in all types of hospital units and provide therapy to both inpatients and outpatients, though the services available at each hospital vary. You are likely to work with a physiotherapist in the Intensive or Critical Care unit, on a surgical or medicine unit, in neurological, cardiac, burns, and orthopaedic units, and more. Physiotherapists will assess and lead your care, and you will often also work with physiotherapist assistants who support the physiotherapist by carrying out treatment plans. If you are in hospital and wish to receive additional physiotherapy services beyond what is provided by the physiotherapists on staff at the hospital, you can pay for an outpatient private physiotherapist to come and provide this service, though hospitals may have limitations regarding permissions for external physiotherapists. If you wish to hire an external physiotherapist to provide this service for you, please speak to your care team at the hospital.  
 

For those who have been discharged from the hospital after surgery, injury, or illness, there are several outpatient clinics that provide services to meet these needs.