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Find a Physiotherapist

Understanding Your Physiotherapy Options

There are many ways to access physiotherapy in your home and community. The way you access physiotherapy will depend in part on how you are paying for physiotherapy, whether publicly funded or using extended health benefits or privately paid. It also depends on where you want to see a physiotherapist (i.e. in a clinic, in a hospital, or in your home).

Direct Access

You can see a physiotherapist without a doctor’s referral

People can access physiotherapists directly. A doctor’s referral is not required unless your insurance provider requires one prior to booking an appointment. Direct access means it is not necessary to go through another health professional to determine if you need physiotherapy.

government funded physiotherapy

Access publicly funded physiotherapy in your community and at home.

Check out six different publicly funded options for physiotherapy in your community and in your home.

1. Community-Based Physiotherapy (OHIP/ publicly funded)

Called the Community Physiotherapy Clinic (CPC) Program, those eligible can access one of approximately 200 CPC clinics in Ontario.

Eligibility: You need to meet 1 of the following criteria: 

  • You are under 19 or over 65 years 
  • You have had a hospital admission within the last year 
  • You receive Ontario Works or Ontario Disability Support Program payments 

Referral Needed? No referral needed.

Find a CPC Clinic Near You:

Call: Tel: 1-888-910-1999 or TTY: 1-800-387-5559

CPC Locations in Ontario

2. Physiotherapy in Primary Care Teams

Primary care teams include Family Health Teams, Community Health Centres, and Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics.

Eligibility varies across Primary Care Teams

Contact the Family Health Team, Community Health Centre, or Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic near you to ask about physiotherapy services.

Referral Needed? Some teams provide physiotherapy services only to patients who have their family doctor or nurse practitioner on the team. Check with the Team if you need a referral.

Find a Primary Care Team Near You:

Primary Care Teams

3. Physiotherapy in Indigenous Primary Care Teams

These include Indigenous Family Health Teams, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Teams.

Eligibility: You identify as Indigenous (First Nation, Inuit, or Métis OR are a Non-Indigenous family member, spouse, or dependant living in the same household).

Referral Needed? Some teams provide physiotherapy services only to patients who have their family doctor or nurse practitioner on the team. Check with the Team if you need a referral.

Find a Primary Care Team Near You:

Primary Care Teams

4. Physiotherapy in the Arthritis Research and Education Program (AREP)

Eligibility: Resident of Ontario of any age with a valid health card and diagnosis of arthritis

Referral Needed? You can self-refer or receive a referral from a physician or nurse practitioner.

Find a Physiotherapist:

Email: arep@arthritis.ca

Self referral with the AREP self-referral form

By phone: 1-800-321-1433 (extension 3307).

5. Total Joint Replacement Surgery

This program is referred to as the Bundled Care Program.

Eligibility: You have had one of the following surgery types in Ontario:

  • Elective hip or knee replacement (unilateral or bilateral)
  • Total/hemi shoulder arthroplasty, reverse shoulder arthroplasty

You are not eligible if you had revision or repeat surgery; surgery because of workplace injuries (WSIB) or if you had major complications that require inpatient hospital stay

Referral Needed? Referral required.

6. In-Home Physiotherapy

Publicly funded options for physiotherapy in your home (Ontario Health @ Home)

Eligibility: Both requirements need to be met for eligibility:

  1. You have a valid Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Card 
  2. Your eligibility for physiotherapy will be determined by a Care Coordinator who will complete an assessment 

Referral Needed? No referral needed.

Find a Physiotherapist:

Ontario Health at Home Postal Code Search

PRIVATE PAY physiotherapy

Access private pay physiotherapy in your community and at home.

Check out options for physiotherapy in your community and in-home care, if you are paying with extended health benefits or out-of-pocket.

Private Pay or Extended Health Benefits

Private clinics exist across the province. If you have extended health benefits or can pay out of pocket, find a physiotherapist in your area. 

Eligibility: You have extended health benefits or can pay out of pocket.

Referral Needed? No, if paying out of pocket. However, check with your insurance provider for extended health benefits if they require a referral from a physician or nurse practitioner.

Ensure that you are working with a “Registered Physiotherapist”.

Find a Physiotherapist:

Directory of All Physiotherapists in Ontario

Physiotherapy after a motor vehicle accident

Check out motor vehicle accident insurance options

If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident then you can access physiotherapy through your motor vehicle insurance.

Physiotherapy after a Motor Vehicle Accident

Please note: Only select clinics provide care for motor vehicle accidents. Contact a clinic close to you and ask if they provide auto-insured care. You can also ask your insurer for recommendations.

Eligibility: You were injured in a motor vehicle accident within the last 2 years.

Referral Needed? None required.

Find a Physiotherapist:

Directory of All Physiotherapists in Ontario

Physiotherapy after a workplace injury

Check out options for physiotherapy through WSIB

If you were injured at work and your workplace contributes to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) then you may be eligible for physiotherapy benefits.

Physiotherapy after a Workplace Injury

Eligibility:

You sustained a head injury or concussion at work within the last 3 months at your place of work.

You sustained an injury to a muscle, tendon, ligament, fascia, or bone at work within the last 8 weeks at your place of work.

Ensure that you have reported your injury to your employer and primary care provider to have the necessary forms completed.

Please note that only select clinics provide care through WSIB funding.

Referral Needed? Yes.

Find a Physiotherapist:

Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist Directory
Concussion Physiotherapist Directory

Physiotherapy in long term care

Check out options for physiotherapy in long term care

If you or your loved one lives in long term care then you can access physiotherapy.

Physiotherapy in Long Term Care

Eligibility: Age 18 or older; have a valid Ontario health card; physiotherapy must be deemed a necessary part of care. 

Referral Needed? Required for publicly funded physiotherapy in the long-term care setting. If a resident or family member wishes to pay privately for physiotherapist services from the community, no referral is required. 

Find a Physiotherapist: speak with the on-site physician or nurse practitioner 

frequently asked questions

Common questions about access and payment details

Depending on your health needs and payment options, find out more about accessing a physiotherapist in your area. 

faqs

Publicly Funded/ Government Funded Physiotherapy

Patients who meet the criteria receive an ‘episode of care’ for their condition/diagnosis. Patients cannot be charged for these services. With a valid Ontario health card, you can receive this government-funded physiotherapy at a designated Community Physiotherapy Clinic (CPC) if you are: 

  • 65 years or older
  • 19 years or under
  • Any age after an overnight hospital stay or an outpatient/day surgery procedure (within the last 12 months) for a condition requiring physiotherapy
  • A recipient of the Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program (any age, OHIP card not required)

Find a CPC close to you: View the Ministry of Health list of clinics

Read the CPC patient information sheet

Primary care is one of the first points of access to publicly funded health care services in the community. There are a variety of primary care organizations including Family Health Teams (FHT), Community Health Centres (CHC), Nurse-Practitioner Led Clinics (NPLC), and Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHAC) and the type of health care providers varies across organizations. This means that not every primary care organization will have a physiotherapist on staff. If you are unsure, please contact your local organization to ask. To see a physiotherapist at a primary care organization, you typically do not need a referral note from a family doctor or nurse practitioner. You can likely self-refer by calling or going in-person.

Some organizations will only offer physiotherapy to patients whose family doctors or nurse practitioners work in the centre. If your family doctor or nurse practitioner does not work in a primary care centre, or if you do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner, please contact your local primary organization to ask if you are eligible to receive care.

Look for your local primary care option:

Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics sheet

Family Health Team (FHT)

Community Health Centre (CHC)

Aboriginal Health Access Centre (AHAC)

If you have recently had surgery for a total hip, knee or shoulder arthroplasty (hip, knee or shoulder replacement) at a hospital, your team will connect you with physiotherapy clinics that are participating with them in bundled care or talk to you about other options if they are more appropriate. 
 
Bundled care is a provincial funding model that is designed to promote greater integration in health care delivery, drive high-quality, efficient care and improve patient outcomes and experience. 
 
After your surgery, you will be able to access physiotherapy at no cost through providers that are connected to your surgeon’s hospital. 
 
Please reach out to your hospital’s Patient Care Coordinator or your surgeon’s office for more information about accessing physiotherapy care at no cost following your knee or hip replacement. 

Contact Ontario Health at Home in your area: Ontario Health atHome

Physiotherapy services are available to residents of long-term care homes in Ontario from physiotherapists who work directly in the facilities. Access these services by speaking with LTC staff. Services can include one-on-one physiotherapy and group exercise classes.

The Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) provides limited coverage for specific groups in Canada, including refugees. The coverage is paid for by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). The IFHP can be used when an individual does not have access to any provincial or territorial health care coverage.

Find out more

faqs

Private Pay Physiotherapy

Many people either pay for their physiotherapy treatment (also called out-of-pocket, or self-pay) or have some coverage for physiotherapy through their work health insurance plans. Search the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario public physiotherapist portal. Ontario Health811 is a free, secure and confidential service you can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get health advice or find health services or information.

Some private practice clinics will either submit your receipt to insurance for you and bill the company directly. Alternatively, you will pay and then submit the receipt to your insurer for reimbursement.

What to consider if you have health care insurance:

  • Do you require a physician referral? Physiotherapists do not need one to treat you, but your insurance may not cover your care without one.
  • Does your insurance have a per-visit maximum? In other words, will they only pay up to a certain amount per visit? If the physiotherapist’s rate is higher, you will be responsible for the difference.
  • Does your plan have an annual limit?
  • Is your physiotherapy coverage combined with any other types of healthcare? Some plans have a total amount that they will pay for a group of healthcare providers, such as athletic therapy, massage therapy, vision care and more. 
  • How does your insurance company handle claims? Can the physiotherapist bill them directly for their services, or do you have to pay up front and submit an invoice?
faqs

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Physiotherapy

If you are injured at work, you have the right to receive physiotherapy that is covered by the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (WSIB). You do not need a physician or nurse to refer you, and you can choose which physiotherapist you see, as long as they are registered with WSIB. You can find out if a physiotherapist is registered with WSIB by calling and asking, or by searching WSIB’s provider directories for musculoskeletal injuries and mild traumatic brain injuries.

Please note that you must file a report to WSIB as soon as possible and you have 6 months from the date of injury to claim this coverage. It is recommended that you seek care as soon as possible to optimize your recovery.

faqs

Physiotherapy in Hospitals

Physiotherapists work in all types of hospital units and provide therapy to both inpatients and outpatients, though the services available at each hospital vary. You are likely to work with a physiotherapist in the Intensive or Critical Care unit, on a surgical or medicine unit, in neurological, cardiac, burns, and orthopaedic units, and more.

Physiotherapists will assess and lead your care, and you will often also work with physiotherapist assistants who support the physiotherapist by carrying out treatment plans. If you are in hospital and wish to receive additional physiotherapy services beyond what is provided by the physiotherapists on staff at the hospital, you can pay for an outpatient private physiotherapist to come and provide this service, though hospitals may have limitations regarding permissions for external physiotherapists. If you wish to hire an external physiotherapist to provide this service for you, please speak to your care team at the hospital.