Mental health coverage in Canada.

October 20, 2007 6:52 PM

Hivemind, can you help me work out if my friend will be covered by the health system in trying to see a psychologist in Ontario?

My friend moved to Canada a year or so ago, and has now got his SSI (I think it's referred to as - his work permit anyhow), as he is married to a Canadian.
He'd been seeing a pyschologist in the UK, covered by the NHS, and is trying to find out if he'll be covered similarly in Ontario. He is working, I think full time now (the issue being however, that he's not earning much), if that affects it.

We've both googled it and not really come up with much information on likely costs or whether he will, as I say, be covered. Any info would be appreciated.

posted by opsin to health & fitness (6 comments total)

Psychiatrist or psychologist? The first has is an M.D. and the second is typically a PhD. A psychiatrist can prescribe meds, a psychologist cannot. OHIP covers psychiatrists but not psychologists. (The linked page gives some pointers on finding an appropriate therapist of any type.)

However, if his wife has supplemental health insurance on her own or through her job, there may be coverage for a limited number of visits up to a certain dollar amount. If he needs more care than the supplemental insurance covers, he has to pay for it himself.
posted by maudlin at 6:59 PM on October 20, 2007

Or -- duh! -- his job may provide supplemental insurance. If neither of them has it, carriers such as Manulife Financial offers a variety of packages. He may be able to get their Extended Health Care standalone package for about $20/month, which would cover 10-12 psychologist visits per year, as well as physiotherapy and other related paramedical services. (They may charge higher rates or exclude him depending on his medical history, so don't take that estimate as gospel.)
posted by maudlin at 7:11 PM on October 20, 2007

I believe supplemental coverage is contingent on having provincial coverage. For Ontario, the easiest way to find out seems to be here: Who is eligible for an OHIP card?
posted by mikel at 7:40 PM on October 20, 2007

maudlin, umm... a psychiatrist would have an MD and a PhD. A psychologist generally has a BA and sometimes an MA.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:36 AM on October 21, 2007

I was going on what my cited pages said and what I learned during my B.Sc. in Psych, but I double checked this. From the College of Psychologists of Ontario's guidelines:

In Ontario, there are two regulated titles respecting the practice of psychology. For the title psychologist, you require a doctoral degree in psychology. For the title psychological associate, you require a masters degree in psychology and at least four years of relevant, post-masters degree experience.

A psychiatrist is an M.D. who has to have trained in psychiatry, but does not also need a Ph.D. Wikipedia has the most concise summary of Canadian and American requirements, and a doctoral degree isn't part of it, though the training is still hellishly long:

... one must first complete their Bachelor's degree. Students may typically decide any major of their choice, however they must enroll in specific courses, usually outlined in a pre-medical program. One must then apply to and attend 4 years of medical school in order to earn their MD or DO and to complete their medical education. Following this, the individual must practice as a psychiatric resident for another four years (five years in Canada). Psychiatry residents are often required to complete at least four post-graduate months of internal medicine or pediatrics and two months of neurology during the first year. After completing their training, psychiatrists take written and then oral board examinations. The total amount of time required to complete post-baccalaureate work in the field of psychiatry in the United States is typically 8 to 9 years.
posted by maudlin at 9:39 AM on October 21, 2007

I stand corrected.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:59 AM on October 22, 2007