British Columbia

Extended Medical Therapies

Complex application

Tax filing not required

Essential Extended Medical Therapies consisting of acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, naturopathy, podiatry and physical therapy may be provided to specific recipients of income assistance, disability assistance or hardship assistance who are eligible for general health supplements. A medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must confirm an acute need and there must be no other resources available.

Medical Services Plan (MSP) supplementary benefits covers extended medical therapies consisting of acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, naturopathy, non-surgical podiatry and physical therapy to a combined limit of up to 10 visits per calendar year.

Recipients of income assistance, disability assistance and hardship assistance receive access to MSP supplementary benefits under their Plan C MSP coverage.

Note: Medical Services Plan (MSP) contributes $23 per visit. Recipients may be required to pay an additional amount if the practitioner has opted out of MSP or charges above the MSP fee schedule. The ministry (of social development and poverty) does not pay for any extra billing charges.

Extensions of extended medical therapies may be considered for recipients eligible for general health supplements when:

  • Recipients have exhausted their 10 visits for the year authorized under the Medical Services Plan (MSP) supplementary benefits.
  • A medical practitioner or nurse practitioner has confirmed an acute need, not chronic (acute means severe and immediate, whereas chronic refers to ongoing conditions).
  • No other resources, including local hospital out-patient facilities, are available.

Note: The 12-visit extension applies to any combination of services included under extended medical therapies after the 10 MSP visits have been exhausted.

Employment and Assistance Worker (EAW) and Community Integration Specialist are responsible for:

  • Gathering documentation required to determine eligibility for extended medical therapies.
  • Forwarding all relevant documentation to Health Assistance.

Health Assistance is responsible for:

  • Approving extensions to extended medical therapies.

If you meet the eligibility requirements for the extended medical therapies, meet with your Employment and Assistance Worker (EAW) who will assess your emergency need and provide you with expedited application.

The Employment and Assistance Office (EAO) will confirm no other resources, including local hospital out-patient facilities, are available and ensure that you have provided a written request from a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner and therapist that includes all of the following:

  • name and address of therapist diagnosis of the condition (specifically whether the condition is acute or chronic) from a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner
  • frequency and number of visits required for each type of therapy
  • medical justification why further treatment is required
  • date on which the 10 MSP visits were exhausted

The required documentation will be forwarded all documentation to Health Assistance (HA) and you will be notified of decision by letter. If HA approves a service included under extended medical therapies, the service provider will be notified via Purchase Authorization generated at HA.

Note that the ministry does not reimburse recipients.

Last updated: April 7, 2021