A recent Ipsos poll for the Canadian Athletic Therapists Association reveals that almost all Canadians (96%) believe health plans should cover a variety of treatments, with nine in ten (89%) wanting access to Athletic Therapy if injured. The full study results can be found on the Move Freely | Live Fully campaign page.

Canadians overwhelmingly support the inclusion of diverse treatments in health plans (96%) and stress the need for personalized treatment plans (97%), and the freedom to choose their physical therapy options. Despite being less familiar with Athletic Therapy compared to Physiotherapy (88%) and Occupational Therapy (73%), once explained, 89% of Canadians want access to it. The demand for Athletic Therapy to be treated similarly to other physical therapies is strong.

At Guelph Performance, these results were not surprising!

We hear from many of our clients that they would love it if they could use their benefits for other providers for Athletic Therapy treatment, and we agree! We think that freedom of choice in healthcare is essential. What works for some, or even most, might not work for everyone! Additionally, comfort with a provider has been shown to improve outcomes for patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and the perception of a “good” physical therapist is strongly rooted in the interpersonal interactions between patient and practitioner. To put it plainly — injured people tend to get better when they are comfortable with and have a good report with their therapists, and we think they should be able to use their benefits with whatever therapist this is for them!

So what can we do?

The Canadian Athletic Therapists Association (CATA) is the national certifying body for ATs, and they have launched a campaign to work towards athletic therapy being included in all employee benefits packages. This campaign could use YOUR help! Follow this link for 4 actions you can take today to help this campaign!

Ultimately though, the choices of what services/amount is included in your plan is determined by your employer during the negotiation of the group benefits packages with the insurance company. This typically happens every 4-7 years, or when companies are undergoing restructuring. If you can have your voice heard by the decision-makers in your company (Typically HR), it may influence their choices during negotiation. The CATA Has created a form letter that you can modify and use to share this ask with your employer.

Also, many plans do in fact cover Athletic Therapy either as part of a health spending account or lumped in with another “bucket”. Call them! You might be surprised! There are also supplemental plans that many individuals can subscribe to, which is outlined in this blog post.