Advice from Mirasol's Ontario ClientsThe following suggestions are based on interviews with former Mirasol clients who have succeeded in obtaining OHIP funding for residential eating disorder treatment at Mirasol. Although the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) gives priority to treatment at Canadian facilities, it sometimes covers the cost of out-of-county residential treatment for eating disorders. The key elements seem to be a) the client's physician must champion the case, and b) it must be demonstrated that adequate care is not available in Canada Applications must be approved by Out of Country Health Services Appeal and Review Board. The first step in applying online for OHIP coverage for out-of-country residential treatment is completing an application form that is available on the OHIP web site. This form must be completed by the family physician and accompanied by a supporting letter from the physician stating that the client is facing excessive delays in obtaining treatment, that the client is extremely ill and requires residential treatment, and that there is an opening at Mirasol. The referring physician or psychiatrist may charge as a substantial fee for this letter. Identify only one facility on the application. Applications listing multiple treatment facilities will be rejected. The normal processing time for the application is 6-8 weeks, but if the referring physician stresses the urgency treatment, expedited applications can be processed more quickly. OHIP may request details about the client's health including evidence of tissue damage, an EKG, etc. The applicant may be sent a list of Canadian facilities that offer residential treatment programs and asked to contact each one regarding availability. One former client was able to shorten the length of this process by asking her doctor's assistant to fax each facility and demanding an immediate response. All communication regarding the status of the application goes through the referring physician/psychiatrist. Everyone stresses the importance of having a referring physician who will champion your cause. The client — not the referring physician — typically recommends the out-of-country treatment facility. Given the difficulty of obtaining funding for aftercare in Ontario, our former clients strongly recommend applying for an extension of our residential treatment program through OHIP. |
My experience at Mirasol
was irreplaceable!
Regardless of what happens in the future, I will permanently altered because of what I have learned at Mirasol and especially after my exposure to other programs. I would HIGHLY recommend Mirasol to anyone who is considering residential treatment. Thank you to the staff - I love you all.
