Funding For Physiotherapy
PT (Physiotherapist)
Jaime provides rehabilitation all forms of orthopedic conditions and works with patients of any age. Her interests extend to working with individuals injured in motor vehicle accidents, those with work injuries, post-surgical patients (joint replacements, shoulder, knee and ankle reconstructions and more) and working with older adults for fall prevention. She will work with you to individualize your treatment so that it is functional and relevant to your condition and goals. See Jamie and the rest of the staff at our South Edmonton location
Alberta Health Services Funding for Physiotherapy
Unlike other provinces in Canada or even other cities in Alberta, specific funding has been allocated by the Alberta government for individuals to receive physiotherapy assessments and/or treatments at no “out of pocket” cost. This is known as the Community Rehabilitation Program (CRP) through Alberta Health Services. Only certain clinics in the Edmonton area offer these services and funding is limited. This means that the clinic may have a wait list or that treatments may not be covered by the program after the initial assessment.
How do people access these funds?
These funds can be accessed a few different ways.
- Seek an assessment for an injury or painful condition by calling our office directly (no physician referral is needed). Depending on your condition, you may then qualify for up to 2 treatment sessions through the CRP program. This is up to the physiotherapist, based on a Determination of Needs assessment.
- After orthopaedic surgery or after a broken bone – a physician referral is required. This will allow you to receive a funded physiotherapy assessment and up to 6 treatments. NOTE: some referrals have “expiry dates” and an assessment must be booked before a certain date.
- Qualify for “low income” funding: after an assessment, you may qualify for up to 6 treatments rather than 2 treatments, if your income status meets certain criteria. Our receptionist will show you the low income funding forms when you get here.
Why doesn’t everyone qualify for funded treatments?
The funding provided to physiotherapy clinics by the government is limited and your physiotherapist must complete a Determination Of Need (DON) form. Your DON depends on a number of things including impact of your injury, expected benefit of treatment, and the risk of delaying treatment. If you have extended health care benefits or do not fall under the orthopaedic or low income categories you may not qualify for any treatments following the CRP assessment. That will be explained to you at the end of your session.
What do I do if I don’t qualify?
If you are suffering from an injury or following an orthopaedic surgery, we encourage you to give our clinic a call. The CRP assessments are open to everyone and get you through the door! With an assessment we can at least get you started on your recovery. If you do not qualify for treatments, we encourage you to put your health first – use your extended health care benefits or pay privately if you are able. We understand that those options don’t always work, so you can also seek a second opinion from another physiotherapy clinic that offers CRP.
