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OHIP Bulletin: OHIP Insured (free) Laboratory Services during Community Access Pilot

Posted: March 1, 2022

Publié le 1 March 2022

CDO is notifying dietitians of the following OHIP Bulletin as it may be applicable to their dietetic practice

The Ontario Ministry of Health is piloting a new list of laboratory services available at no-cost to the patient at community laboratories. The Pilot began on November 1, 2021 and will last until March 31, 2022. During this time, patients can receive OHIP insured (free) laboratory services for Category Two services, including collections and testing for Celiac tTG-IgA and Celiac serum IgA. This screening is meant for diagnosis only and not for ongoing monitoring of symptoms.

There is no change to the current ordering practice for the ordering clinician to participate in the Pilot. Any ordering clinician in Ontario [as defined for specimen collection in Regulation 683 and as defined for laboratory testing in Regulation 682 under the Laboratory and Specimen Collection Centre Licensing Act (LSCCLA)] can request services included in the Pilot by using the existing ordering practices that is currently in-place.

Dietitians are reminded that they do not have the independent authority to order laboratory tests for the purpose of assessing and monitoring nutrition conditions. Therefore, currently, all dietitians in Ontario, regardless of their practice setting, require a medical directive to order blood work. 
The services that are included in the Pilot are as follows:
  • Category 1 Services: Ordering clinician can support patients in their choice to have their specimens collected at a community laboratory for any genetic test (for only those tests performed in a laboratory listed in Table 1);
  • Category 2 Services: Ordering clinician can support patients in their choice to have their tests (listed in Table 2) performed by a community laboratory.
Participation in this Pilot is voluntary; however, the ministry encourages ordering clinicians to provide this pathway to their patients when it is appropriate. Dietitians are encouraged to work in a participatory and coordinated approach with interprofessional colleagues which includes providing evidence informed decision making and resources to support the safe delivery of collaborative care.

Any specimen collections requiring specialized or complex ordering and/or handling requirements should continue to be collected in the appropriate setting (e.g., hospital).

Additional details about the services provided can be found in the following Ontario Health Insurance Plan INFOBulletin.