The Canadian Life & Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) is consulting with the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Department of Health and Wellness, encouraging the province to regulate podiatry in the province.
“Our members support the regulations outlined for podiatrists. Regulation provides a layer of oversight upon practice and an avenue for a patient to file a complaint with the knowledge that the regulatory college has the ability to discipline the member,” they write in their submission to the consultation issued for proposed podiatrist regulations in the province.
Paramedical coverage
The CLHIA says in 2022, about 130,000 in PEI had supplementary health insurance and about $130-million in benefits were paid there. “Based on survey data, we know Islanders value their benefit plans,” they write. “The services of a podiatrist are commonly included as part of the paramedical coverage offered in most group benefit plans.” Commonly, podiatrists refer patients for foot orthotics, a common benefit included in many benefit plans.
The CLHIA also notes that making podiatry a regulated profession may give PEI residents some tax benefits, as well – as limited tax credits for eligible medical expenses are available, but only if practitioners are regulated.
“The federal act defines eligible expenses to include the services of medical practitioners, but only if such practitioners are regulated in the jurisdiction in which they provide services,” they write. “In addition, group benefit plans often include health spending accounts (HSAs) which typically follow the same eligibility criteria as the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) medical expenses. Therefore, if podiatrists are included in PEI’s regulated health professionals, claims for their services could be eligible under HSAs”
Decreased risk of harm
The submission also focuses on the decreased risk of harm to patients if podiatrists are regulated. The creation of ethics and standards helps ensure practitioners provide treatment safely, they write. “Regulation provides a layer of oversight,” they repeat. They also point out that unregulated health practitioners are not required to maintain liability insurance where regulated providers are required to carry this insurance as part of licensure.
