Insurer

In an effort to continue open communication with insurers, the Ontario College of Osteopathic Rehabilitation Sciences (OCORS) has begun a communication support program for insurers’s policy development and claims staff. Staff members in our Insurance Relations Department make periodic contact with insurance representatives to discuss concerns regarding manual osteopathy claims and to share any new OCORS resources. Our goal is to simplify and expedite the manual osteopathy claims process for the insurance industry in Ontario and to protect the patients & insurers by preventing fraud.

OCORS is a voluntary member based organization mandated with the task of licensing its members in Ontario. OCORS only licenses manual osteopaths who have graduated from a Council on Manual Osteopathy Education accredited manual osteopathic educational program of over 4200 hours (3 to 4 years) that is World Health Organization compliant, and who have successfully passed board exams administered by OCORS. The OCORS registered manual osteopaths must adhere to the code of ethics and the clinical guidelines established by OCORS with heavy emphasis on fraud prevention. OCORS has a disciplinary process and complaints can be registered against OCORS members by the insurers.

A list of all OCORS registered members is available to the Ontario insurance industry and other third party payers. All MVA insurance adjusters and EHP claims managers are more than welcome to check with OCORS in regards to the validity of the license number submitted for billing by any manual osteopath OCORS member.

The Ontario College of Osteopathic Rehabilitation Sciences is committed to work with all Ontario insurers (including auto insurers and extended health plan providers) to help them compensate for osteopathic services that are standard and medically necessary. As such insurers can rest assured that any member of OCORS follows its code of ethics and standard business practices. Insurers should note that rendering a medical diagnosis and performing spinal and joints manipulative therapy are controlled acts in the province of Ontario and only regulated health professional such as physicians, surgeons and doctors of chiropractic may render a medical diagnosis or perform manipulations. OCORS registered manual osteopaths follow the health rules and regulations established by the authorities in Ontario. Insurers can rest assured OCORS members refrains from rendering a medical diagnosis and will not perform spinal or joint manipulation. Instead they limit their practice only to treatment and management of conditions within their scope of practice.