Simply put, any medical expense or device that you purchase for a medical condition OR that you have a prescription or Doctor’s note for, is covered. Common expenses such as (for over-the-counter medication, please skip to below the table):
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| Medical expense | Eligible expense? | Prescription needed? | Certification in writing needed? |
| A | TOP | ||
| Acoustic coupler | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Air conditioner | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Air filter, cleaner, or purifier | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Altered auditory feedback devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Ambulance service | Eligible | No | No |
| Animals | Eligible | No | No |
| Artificial eye or limb | Eligible | No | No |
| Assisted breathing devices | Eligible | No | No |
| Athletic or fitness club fees | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Attendant care expenses | See details | See details | See details |
| Audible signal devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| B | TOP | ||
| Baby breathing monitor | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Bathroom aids | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Birth control devices (non-prescription) | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Bliss symbol boards | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Blood coagulation monitors | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Blood pressure monitors | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Bone conduction receiver | Eligible | No | No |
| Bone marrow transplant | Eligible | No | No |
| Braces for a limb | Eligible | No | No |
| Braille note-taker devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Braille printers, synthetic speech systems, large print-on-screen devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Breast prosthesis | Eligible | Yes | No |
| C | TOP | ||
| Cancer treatment | Eligible | No | No |
| Catheters, catheter trays, tubing or other products | Eligible | No | No |
| Certificates | Eligible | No | No |
| Chair | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Cochlear implant | Eligible | No | No |
| Computer peripherals | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Cosmetic surgery before March 5, 2010 | Eligible | No | No |
| Cosmetic surgery after March 4, 2010 | See details | See details | See details |
| Crutches | Eligible | No | No |
| D | TOP | ||
| Deaf-blind intervening services | Eligible | No | No |
| Dental services | Eligible | No | No |
| Dentures and dental implants | Eligible | No | No |
| Devices or software | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Diapers or disposable briefs | Eligible | No | No |
| Diaper services | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Doctor – see Medical services provides by qualified medical practitioners | Eligible | No | No |
| Driveway access | Eligible | No | No |
| Drugs and medical devices bought under Health Canada’s Special Access Program | Eligible | No | No |
| E | TOP | ||
| Elastic support hose | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Electrolysis | Eligible | No | No |
| Electronic bone healing devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Electronic speech synthesizers | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Electrotherapy devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Environment control system (computerized or electronic) | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Extremity pump | Eligible | Yes | No |
| F | TOP | ||
| Fertility-related procedures | See details | See details | See details |
| Furnace | Eligible | Yes | No |
| G | TOP | ||
| Gluten-free products | See details | See details | See details |
| Group home – see Attendant care or care in a facility | See details | See details | See details |
| H | TOP | ||
| Health plan premiums paid by an employer and not included in your income | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Hearing aids | Eligible | No | No |
| Heart monitoring devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Hospital bed | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Hospital services | Eligible | No | No |
| I | TOP | ||
| Ileostomy and colostomy pads | Eligible | No | No |
| Infusion pump | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Injection pen (such as an insulin pen) | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Insulin or substitutes | Eligible | Yes | No |
| In vitro fertility program | Eligible | No | No |
| K | TOP | ||
| Kidney machine | Eligible | No | No |
| L | TOP | ||
| Laboratory procedures or services | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Large print-on-screen devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Laryngeal speaking aids | Eligible | No | No |
| Laser eye surgery | Eligible | No | No |
| Lift or transportation equipment (power-operated) | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Liver extract injections | Eligible | Yes | No |
| M | TOP | ||
| Medical marihuana | Eligible | No | No |
| Medical services provided by qualified medical practitioners | Eligible | No | No |
| Medical services provided outside Canada | Eligible | No | No |
| Moving expenses | Eligible | No | No |
| N | TOP | ||
| Needles and syringes | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Note-taking services | Eligible | No | Yes |
| Nurse | Eligible | No | No |
| Nursing home – see Attendant care or care in a facility | See details | See details | See details |
| O | TOP | ||
| Optical scanners | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Organic food | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Organ transplant | Eligible | No | No |
| Orthodontic work | Eligible | No | No |
| Orthopedic shoes, boots, and inserts | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Osteogenesis stimulator (inductive coupling) | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Oxygen and oxygen tent | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Oxygen concentrator | Eligible | No | No |
| P | TOP | ||
| Pacemakers | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Page-turner devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Personalized therapy plan | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Personal response systems such as Lifeline an Health Line Services | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Phototherapy equipment | Eligible | No | No |
| Premiums paid to private health services plans | Eligible | No | No |
| Pre-natal and post-natal treatments | Eligible | No | No |
| Prescription drugs and medications | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Pressure pulse therapy devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Provincial and territorial plans | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| R | TOP | ||
| Reading services | Eligible | No | Yes |
| Real-time captioning | Eligible | No | No |
| Rehabilitative therapy | Eligible | No | No |
| Renovation or construction expenses | Eligible | No | No |
| Respite care expenses – see Attendant care or care in a facility | See details | See details | See details |
| S | TOP | ||
| School for persons with an impairment in physical or mental functions | Eligible | No | Yes |
| Scooter | Eligible | No | No |
| Sign-language interpretation services | Eligible | No | No |
| Spinal brace | Eligible | No | No |
| Standing devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Supplements and vitamins | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| T | TOP | ||
| Talking textbooks | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Teletypewriters | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Television closed caption decoders | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Tests | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Therapy | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Training | Eligible | No | No |
| Travel expenses (less than 40km) | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Travel expenses (at least 40 km) | See details | See details | See details |
| Travel expenses (at least 80 km) | See details | See details | See details |
| Travel expenses (outside of Canada) | See details | See details | See details |
| Treatment centre | Eligible | No | Yes |
| Truss for hernia | Eligible | No | No |
| Tutoring services | Eligible | No | Yes |
| V | TOP | ||
| Vaccines | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Van | Eligible | No | No |
| Vehicle modification | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Vision devices | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Visual or vibratory signaling device | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Vitamin B12 | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Vitamins – see Supplements and vitamins | Not eligible | N/A | N/A |
| Voice recognition software | Eligible | No | Yes |
| Volume control feature (additional) | Eligible | Yes | No |
| W | TOP | ||
| Walking aids | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Water filter, cleaner, or purifier | Eligible | Yes | No |
| Wheelchairs and wheelchair carriers | Eligible | No | No |
| Whirlpool bath treatments | Eligible | No | No |
| Wigs | Eligible | Yes | No |
All or substantially all generally means 90% or more. Therefore, in most cases, 90% or more of the premiums paid under a plan have to be for coverage of medical expenses that are eligible for the METC. For example, Company ABC pays $100 a month for its group employee insurance plan. This $100 premium is based on the following:Since the first three items are eligible for the METC and total more than 90% of the entire premium, the CRA would consider the plan to be a PHSP (assuming that all other conditions have been met).
- $70 relates to coverage for prescription drugs that an employee lawfully buys, as prescribed by a medical practitioner and recorded by a pharmacist;
- $20 relates to coverage for dental services paid to a dentist;
- $8 relates to coverage for medical tests such as electrocardiograms, urine analysis, and x-rays; and
- $2 relates to coverage for non-prescription vitamins.
Please fill out all the fields to register for a PHSP with Accountable Value Financial Services. Your information will be securely transmitted but not stored on our servers.