Extended Health Care Plans

Is chiropractic care covered by OHIP or insurance?

Chiropractic care is not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). However, you, like many Ontarians, may have an extended health care (EHC) group plan. This is a plan that your employer, union, trade or professional organization has set up as part of your workplace benefits package. If you’re self-employed, you can purchase an individual EHC plan from various health care insurance providers.

Patient’s Guide to Extended Health Care

We produced The Patient’s Guide to Extended Health Care to help you understand your EHC coverage for chiropractic care services and devices. Click/tap the button below to access the online or downloadable (PDF) copy of this guide, which you can also print.

Patients Extended Health Care coverage Guide

Other Chiropractic Care Coverage Options

If you don’t have EHC coverage or your plan doesn’t include chiropractic care, you may be eligible for one of the following options:

Primary Care for Low Back Pain (PCLBP) Program

You may be eligible for the PCLBP Program if you:

  • Have low back pain and/or related symptoms
  • Are either –
    • A patient of one of the seven interprofessional primary care teams that offer the PCLBP program
    • Live near one of the PCLBP program locations in: Alexandria and Cornwall; Belleville; Mount Forest, East Wellington and Minto-Maple To; Orillia; Scarborough; Sudbury; or Windsor
  • Receive a referral from your doctor or nurse practitioner from the team

Health2Work Program

You may be eligible for the Health2Work program (in the Region of Waterloo) if you:

  • Either have –
    • Back, neck or shoulder pain or stiffness, an injury, such as a sprain or strain
    • Arthritis that’s stopping you from working
  • Are receiving support from Ontario Works or are a non-disabled family member of a person receiving Ontario Disability Support Program support
  • Live in Cambridge, Kitchener or one of the evolving areas where this program is offered.

Compassionate Fee Structure

Chiropractors may offer reduced fees on compassionate grounds, on a case-by-case basis. Speak to your chiropractor for further information.

Chiropractic Coverage for Ontarians

One of our priorities is to help you, as well as other Ontarians, receive the chiropractic care you need. In 2020, we formed an OCA EHC Advisory Council to support this goal. In addition, we regularly consult with government decision-makers and health care insurers (benefit firms). These consultations help us to ensure that patients like you have access to chiropractic care in their EHC plans. For more details about our EHC strategy and the EHC Advisory Council’s work, please read this Helping Ontarians Access the Chiropractic Care They Need blog post from our CEO.

We also continue to advance programs, such as the PCLBP program and Health2Work program, to help Ontarians without EHC plans, access the chiropractic care they need.