A last ditch effort is being made to stop the provincial government from overhauling the way physiotherapy is provided to older Ontarians.  As of August 1st, most physio services provided to residents of retirement homes will no longer be covered under OHIP.  Owners of 43 Ontario private physiotherapy clinics are planning to go to an Ontario Divisional Court tomorrow to try and quash the new regulations that will force them to stop billing OHIP for physiotherapy.

Luka Senk is a physiotherapist at Riverwood Senior Living in Alliston, Ontario.  He told the New AM 740’s Goldhawk Fights Back recently, “individuals that currently live at home and in the community will be able to access physiotherapy at more locations, but it comes at the expense of long term care and retirement homes, which will see absolutely nothing.  As far as we know, CCAC will only see acute or bed ridden patients in retirement homes.  Everyone else in a retirement home will have to go to an offsite clinic to receive physiotherapy, and we don’t even know where these offsite clinics are.”

But Health Minister Deb Matthews stands by the changes, arguing they will bring more equity to a system that currently shortchanges much of Ontario.  She says most of the OHIP clinics are located around the GTA and Hamilton and there are only two in northern Ontario.  Listen for more on this issue on the New AM 740’s Goldhawk Fights Back after 11:00 this morning when Health Minister Matthews will be Dale’s special guest.