Project Title: Public Access to Health Services for the Frail Elderly in Long Term Care: A Case Study for Physiotherapy in Ontario

Research Team:
Rappolt, S.
Fisher, K.

In April 2005 the provincial government announced that Schedule 5 OHIP (Ontario Hospital Insurance Plan) physiotherapy services would be partially delisted from Medicare's payment plan. This cutback resulted in comprehensive changes in public policy concerning an individuals' ability to access publicly funded physiotherapy services. Reduced funding to seniors in Long Term Care (LTC) facilities has caused a backlash within the interest groups representing LTC facilities, physiotherapy service providers, and nursing staff who are fighting to preserve services to this vulnerable group. In this study we implement an interest group theory to explore the evolution of public funding to seniors in LTC facilities and to explain why this issue rose to prominence on the policy agenda. A paper based on this work is in preparation.

This project received seed funds from the M-THAC Opportunities Fund.

Selected Presentation:

• A poster on this project was presented at the 2007 M-THAC/Team Symposium, Moving Care From Hospital To Community: Selected Policy and Service Implications Symposium.