More physiotherapy services available in Woodbridge
Vaughan Weekly
February 5, 2014
By Angela Gismondi
Publicly funded physiotherapy services are now available at additional locations in Vaughan.
Woodbridge resident Guido Masutti has been lobbying for more Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)-covered clinics in the Woodbridge area for over three years. Masutti suffers from aches and joint pains caused by years of physical labour. Like many other seniors, Masutti, now 76, now requires physiotherapy treatment to alleviate his pain.
“In Vaughan, there is a big wave of people who immigrated here in the ‘50s and ‘60s and they are all aging at the same time,” explained Masutti. “That is why we need to beef up the services…But the government is cutting back on services which, in my opinion, is not a good thing because the money is being wasted elsewhere.”
Although physiotherapy is offered at a number of clinics in Woodbridge, many of them have a waiting list for people without pensions or private insurance. Those who pay for the services out of pocket or through insurance will receive services right away while those obtaining services through OHIP have to wait as long as three months to receive treatment. Masutti is hoping to make physiotherapy more accessible for people 65 years or older with no pensions or health insurance and a low income.
“Part of the problem is the number of people using the system now is much greater than the number of people who contributed to the system,” said Masutti. “There are a lot of new people coming in who need the service and I do not object to that. What I object to is the old immigrants who built this country should not be forgotten.”
The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care launched a process to expand publicly-funded physiotherapy clinics last June. The Ontario government is investing in physiotherapy, giving 90,000 more seniors and eligible patients access to clinic-based services in more communities across the province.
As for the two clinics providing additional OHIP-covered services in Woodbridge, Masutti is pleased but he will not give up on getting more services for the community.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Masutti. “I want this to be a permanent thing, not just one-time funding and that’s it.”
His ultimate goal is to have a clinic in Vaughan devoted entirely to OHIP covered physiotherapy, specifically for seniors with a low income.
“I’m going to keep working on this,” he said.
Patients may be eligible for publicly funded clinic-based physiotherapy if they have a physician or nurse practitioner referral and are seniors aged 65 and older, those 19 years of age and under any age if discharged from hospital after an overnight stay for a condition requiring physiotherapy. Recipients of Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program are also eligible for publicly funded physiotherapy.
“I encourage everybody to contact these providers to show that the need is there and there are lots of people who would benefit from it,” said Masutti.
Masutti explained the Vaughan Community Health Centre (VCHC) in Woodbridge offers physiotherapy services. However, in order to receive OHIP-funded treatment from the VCHC, patients must be registered with a doctor at the clinic. A limited amount is also provided to those not registered with a VCHC physician.
“I can’t understand why you have to give up your doctor and register with them,” said Masutti. “Maybe if they loosened the rules a little the problem would be solved.”
For now, Masutti has been referred to In-form Physiotherapy, located at 8348 Islington Ave. Unit 3 and can be reached at 905-851-1400. There his treatment will be covered by OHIP.
For more information on OHIP covered physiotherapy services, please visit the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care website at www.health.gov.on.ca.
