Paramedical Providers
Paramedical Services
What is covered?
- 100% of the reasonable and customary (R&C) limit, up to $750 for all practitioners combined every calendar year (January 1 to December 31)
What is not covered?
- Herbal medications, remedies, supplies and vitamins
- Insurance form completion charges
- Missed appointment charges
- Motor vehicle accident-related treatments
- Occupational disease or injury-related treatments
- Surgery performed by a Podiatrist or Chiropodist
- X-rays
Eligible practitioners
- Acupuncturist
- Registered Massage Therapist
- Speech Therapy
- Chiropractor*
- Podiatrist and Chiropodist*
- Naturopath*
- Dietitian*
- Osteopath
*This service is covered for in-person or virtual appointments.
Ask your provider if they can submit your claim directly to GreenShield to minimize your out-of-pocket costs at your appointment.
A doctor's note or prescription is required to be eligible for massage therapy, chiropody/podiatry, or speech therapy.
Dietician coverage includes services from any registered dietician. Additionally, the Change4Life program offered by GreenShield can connect you to a registered dietician at select Loblaws stores (and Provigo stores in Quebec). To make an appointment, go to dieticianservices.ca.
Reasonable and customary (R&C) limit for paramedical services
To ensure members are not overcharged, every year GreenShield sets a reasonable and customary (R&C) limit for the cost of a visit for paramedical services. Every time you visit a paramedical practitioner, the R&C limit is applied.
However…
Some providers charge more than the R&C limit.
And…
The R&C limit is the maximum amount your plan will cover for paramedical services.
That means…
If your provider charges more than the R&C limit, you will have to pay the remaining amount out of your own pocket.
You can check your eligibility and coverage limits by logging in to your account at greenshield.ca, emailing GreenShield at customer.service@greenshield.ca or by calling GreenShield at 1-877-266-5494 to use their interactive voice system. You will then see if your estimated payments are fully covered or not.
For Example:
Gord’s chiropractor charges $170 for each visit. The R&C limit at the time for this service is $150, which is the maximum amount your plan will pay.
Since Gord will be $20 out of pocket, he has two choices:
- Pay the remaining $20 out of pocket; OR
- Look for a provider that charges less.
Your coverage maximum resets every year on January 1.
If you reach the paramedical plan maximum partway through the year, the full coverage amount will again be available to you on January 1.
For Example:
Don visits his chiropractor, massage therapist, and acupuncturist to help manage his back pain. Last year, he submitted these claims:
Don reached the annual maximum at the end of July. He then has two choices:
- Continue to schedule chiropractor, acupuncture, and massage appointments and pay out of pocket for the remainder of the year (until December 31); OR
- Wait until his coverage maximum refreshes on January 1, and begin chiropractor, acupuncture, and massage visits again.
