Physical therapists assess and treat musculoskeletal impairments and are helping more people than ever live a better, pain-free life. You don’t need a doctor’s referral to get treatment. And you do not even have to travel to an appointment. Many clinics offer both home visits and treatment sessions online.
If you or your family members have issues involving muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, nerves, and bone treatment by a physiotherapist can help you restore and maintain physical functionality that help you to have an independent life.
The problem is that physiotherapy is typically not covered by your government health plan, meaning you will have to pay out of pocket for your physio treatments.
Health insurance is designed to help you maintain your health and get the treatment you need. It includes benefits for physio.
Why get physiotherapy?
Depending on your current health condition and medical history your physiotherapist will create a therapy plan that meets your specific needs like those below and provide treatment sessions over a period of time to improve your condition
Minimize or eliminate pain
Most people see a physiotherapist to help with tendonitis and post-surgery issues, or even eliminate nagging foot pains, or better cope with a chronic condition like arthritis.
Receive personalized care
Physiotherapy plans can be tailored to your physical home environment, to help you stick with your program and speed up recovery for conditions like dizziness and vertigo. Therapy is available to address issues resulting from a heart attack or heart disease, respiratory diseases such as chronic asthma or COPD and even neurological conditions caused by Parkinson’s disease and strokes.
Increased functionality
Physiotherapy is not just for injuries and health conditions; it can help you deal with common back aches and shoulder pains or sciatica so you can increase your functionality and flexibility to keep fit and active.
Confidence in your body
Injuries happen, but it’s how you deal with them afterward that will help you recover quickly and effectively. Favouring your previous ligament or hip injury? With physio you can strengthen your body and help give yourself confidence to increase your activity levels.
Reduce your need for medication
Instead of relying solely on medication to manage your condition, physiotherapy is a medication-free alternative to help you manage your health. For pregnancy-related muscle and joint issues, physio provides drug-free help.
Improved sleep
If your sleep is affected by your aches and pains, it impacts your ability to rest and recover. Physio treatment sessions can ease your muscle, joint and nerve issues so that you can rest comfortably.
What treatment do physiotherapists provide?
There are different physiotherapy specialties, from geriatric to sports injury or neurological to joint and muscle.
Personalized exercises “prescriptions”
Learn certain ways to exercise to relieve or strengthen your problem area. These exercise regimes are useful immediately and for decades to come. Your physiotherapist will become a partner in your care.
Massage and joint mobilization and manipulation
With in-depth knowledge of the body and how it works, a physiotherapist has specialized hands-on clinical skills from facial therapy to acupunture/dry needling to assess, diagnose and treat symptoms of illness, injury or disability.
Utilizing temperature to improve areas of pain
From tens electrical stimulation to thermotherapy dry or moist hot packs.
Recommend lifestyle changes
Whether at work or home, your therapist can help you move to relieve carpel tunnel or to independently stand up from a wheelchair. They will identify life style changes you can make like getting regular exercise or avoiding certain physical activities that could lead to re-injury.
Are you covered?
A physiotherapist works to help you move and feel better. But it usually is not covered by your government plan unless the physiotherapy is performed in a hospital or is required after you were hospitalized.
Your sessions will be billed to you and typically cost about $25 per 15-minute units. This can include your assessment and written treatment plan and travel cost to your location for at home sessions.
Costs like that add up – and that’s why physiotherapy is a covered benefit under supplemental health and dental plans.
At SBIS, our providers provide coverage amounts that vary based on the health insurance plan you choose, with benefits maximums ranging from $250 to $650 each year (may include all therapist costs). If your provincial healthcare plan provides some coverage (most do not), benefits are payable after the government plan maximum has been reached.
Ready to get active? Call us today.
Don’t put up with pain or let any injuries linger because of out-of-pocket healthcare costs. The sooner you have health insurance in place, the sooner you can deal with them and the sooner you can be back to your active lifestyle.
There are different plans to choose from and the prices vary depending on your age, if you have a pre-existing condition, and how much coverage you want. Call one of our representatives to talk about the cost; we’re sure to have a policy that matches your needs and budget, especially considering how expensive the alternative can be. Or go online at sbis.ca to learn more.
