Canadians continue to face barriers to access and care

The Disability Tax Credit (DTC) highlights our country’s sense of fairness and community. It helps Canadians with disabilities reduce the financial burden of living with a disability. Canadians must apply to access the DTC for relief. They must provide certification from a health-care practitioner stating that their disability is severe and prolonged. The list of authorized practitioners includes occupational therapists, physiotherapists, medical doctors and others. But there’s an oversight: chiropractors are excluded from this list. Over the past three years, the Canadian government has made great progress in support of the health of Canadians across the country to strengthen health-care systems to meet the ongoing and ever-changing needs of Canadians. Canada’s population is aging, chronic disease rates are on the rise and new technologies are demanding health-care systems innovate and adapt to deliver better care and better outcomes at a cost that is affordable. The signing of the Health Accord and agreement on a common statement of principles on shared health priorities, which outlines common priorities for action in home and community care, and in mental health and addiction services, is an extremely positive development in federal-provincial cooperation. The new accord will support health systems in Canada for years to come, however, many Canadians continue to face barriers to access and care, preventing us from being as healthy as we could be. Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions like back, neck and knee pain, as well as osteoarthritis, continue to affect over 11 million Canadians each year. Osteoarthritis, according to the Arthritis Society, is a leading reason for disability, as well as the most common type of arthritis, impacting more Canadians than all the other forms combined. It is a painful disease that can dramatically restrict basic daily tasks such as dressing and walking. Many Canadians suffering from osteoarthritis rely on their chiropractor to treat functional problems related to a joint, or body structures associated with joints. Chiropractors work closely with their patients over an extended period of time to manage symptoms and are often in the best position to determine when a chronic condition has reached the point of disability. They are also highly accessible to Canadians, with more than 9,000 chiropractors in practice across the country. Chiropractors are regulated in all provinces and trained to assess, diagnose, and treat MSK conditions. Unfortunately, chiropractors continue to remain unauthorized by the federal government to determine the level of their patients’ disability, yet other health-care professionals such as audiologists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists are authorized assessors. This barrier causes thousands of Canadian chiropractic patients to have to visit a second health-care practitioner in order to receive the tax credit. The ripple effect goes well beyond the immediate burden to the patient: this oversight places additional burden on provincial health systems and impacts the Canadian economy through reduced participation. Of particular note, chiropractors are already authorized to perform and make a similar determination for provincial programs such as Workers' Compensation and Motor Vehicle Accident rehabilitation. They are also highly regulated like other health-care professions and are a key resource for disabled Canadians. Both Tony Dolan, chairperson of the Council of Canadians with Disabilities, and Janet Yale, president and CEO of the Arthritis Society, have publicly stated that the current system disadvantages chiropractors and negatively affects the health of Canadians dealing with MSK conditions and osteoarthritis. In the upcoming federal budget, the government has the ability to make an overdue change that would make a meaningful difference for Canadians in need. Allowing chiropractors to assess the Disability Tax Credit would make the system more efficient, reduce the cost to provincial health-care systems, reduce the burden on disabled Canadians and rectify an historical oversight. Tell your elected representatives that it’s time they made this change. Alison Dantas is the chief executive officer of the Canadian Chiropractic Association. The Hill Times