Funding options for therapy
Getting funding for therapy can be a stressful and yet very important step to
ensuring your loved one gets the therapy they need.
The following are funding options that we are successfully using for children at
Abilities.
Have questions about how any of these options can work for you? We are here
to help. Connect with us at [email protected] and we can
take you through the process step by step.
1. At Home Program (Ministry of Children and Family Development)
http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/at_home
The At Home Program assists parents with some of the extraordinary costs of
caring for a child with severe disabilities at home through a range of health
supports and services.
Children who are receiving medical benefits through this program are eligible for
funding for private therapy after the age of 5.
Contrary to what you may hear children who are on the At Home program can
receive physiotherapy occupational therapy, and speech therapy at the same
time.
Many times children can be seen on a weekly basis with no out of pocket
expenses to the parents.
Our staff takes care of all the pre-approvals necessary.
2. Autism funding (Ministry of Children and Family Development)
Autism funding is available for children who have previously received a diagnosis.
There are 2 funding models: before 6 and after 6 years of age.
From the MCFD website
(http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/autism/funding_programs.htm):
“Autism Funding: Under Age 6
The Autism Funding: Under Age 6 program provides families up to $22,000 per year per child to assist in
purchasing eligible autism intervention services and therapies.
An intervention program for a young child with ASD must be based on a plan that takes into
consideration the child’s unique strengths and needs and best practices. This behavioural plan of
intervention is written by a Behaviour Consultant.
Parents must select Behaviour Consultants, Physiotherapists, Speech Language Pathologists and
Occupational Therapists from the Registry of Autism Service Providers.”
What the website won’t tell you that if the therapist is not yet on the registry of
autism service providers (RASP list), you can still use those therapists with a
different billing code. By having the therapists bill as a behavioural interventionist
(at their full professional rate), parents can still choose therapists who may not
be on the RASP list but may still be a good fit for the family, without any out
of pocket costs to the family.
Over 6 (from the MCFD website):
“The Autism Funding: Ages 6-18 program provides families up to $6,000 per year per child to assist
them with the cost of purchasing eligible autism intervention services and therapies outside of school.
This funding is in addition to the educational program and special education services provided through
school boards.”
The funding for children over 6 is clearer (even though it’s a lot less). This
funding is flexible and again provides a way to fund therapy without any out of
pocket costs to the parents.
3. Homeschool (Distributed Learning programs)
Some parents who have children with extra needs have chosen to educate their
children through distributed learning (DL) programs. Unlike homeschooling,
where the parents create and implement the curriculum, distributed learning
environments are schooling opportunities where the school provide varying
amounts of direction and support.
Many children who are eligible for extra supports in public school are also eligible
for extra funding through the DL schools. Parents, in consultation with their DL
schools, have chosen to use this funding for direct therapy services. In this model
the DL school pays the therapist directly and there are no out of pocket fees for the
parent.
For more information about DL schools in BC and funding, visit the Ministry of
education website
(http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/independentschools/bc_guide/dl_program.htm)
4. Post Adoption Assistance
From the MCFD website (http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/adoption/paa.htm):
British Columbia’s Post Adoption Assistance Program provides financial support for children
placed through the ministry who are designated as having special needs.
Children who have been adopted through MCFD may be eligible for funding for
therapy with little to no out of pocket expenses from the parent. Pre-approval is
required and can take weeks on the part of MCFD to set up. Abilities is able to get
you the documents you need to get the therapy approved.
5. Charities
There are a number of BC and national charities that provide funding for specific
and limited amounts of therapy. These charities often require a detailed
application form as well as disclosure of family financial information, but can be a
great way to secure funding for a certain block of therapy.
Funding often takes a few months to approve and usually have an end date as to
when the funding will expire.
President’s choice children’s charity:
http://www.presidentschoice.ca/en_CA/community/pccc/apply-for-funding.html
CKNW Orphan’s fund:
https://www.cknworphansfund.com/
Variety Children’s Charity:
http://varietythechildrenscharity.org/
The Jo Dickey Foundation:
http://www.jodickeyfoundation.ca/index.shtml
6. Extended medical
You may have extended medical coverage through your place of employment.
Often extended medical coverage has a yearly amount, with capped maximums
and pay a portion of the appointment (often 80%).
Some extended medical companies are now starting with direct billing for their
portion of the therapy billing. Contact us and we can let you know if we can direct
bill to your company. We can also work with your coverage to make sure we keep
within the allowed maximums and maximize your coverage.
7. Canada Revenue Agency Medical expenses
Families with medical expenses, including but not limited to therapy services, may
be eligible for claiming on your Canadian tax return.
This will require full out of pocket expenses initially but may provide a refund
once your tax return is filed.
For more information, please contact an accountant or read more at the CRA
website:
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/tpcs/ncm-tx/rtrn/cmpltng/ddctns/lns300350/330/llwbl-eng.html
Need help navigating the funding world? We are here to help! Contact any one of
our clinic locations by phone or email us at [email protected].