ME/CFS Given Official Recognition by Ontario Government!

[leelaplay]

[if:brought to you by the people who brought you the Canadian Consensus Criteria]

ME/CFS Given Official Recognition by Ontario Government!

This means that no one in Ontario who suffers from ME/CFS can ever again be told by a doctor that ME/CFS does not exist. If they do, tell them to look up Diagnostic Code 795. 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' has been given the

OHIP Diagnostic Code 795 by the Ontario Medical Association as a Neurological Illness!

Ideally, we wanted the Diagnostic Code to read: 'Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but we had to take what the Ontario Medical Association approved. The most important fact is that 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' is now officially recognized as a Neurological Illness in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Perhaps the other Provincial Ministries of Health in Canada will follow?

It has taken many years to get to this point of lobbying, meetings, etc. With the publication of the Canadian Definition, which was initiated by the National ME/FM Action Network, this made this possible. Over the last several years, The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario has been in meetings with the Ontario Ministry of Health to lobby for a Diagnostic Code and we are so pleased that we now finally have one. Dr. Alison Bested did a fantastic presentation to the Ontario Medical Association. What does it mean to have a (CFS) code"? It means that:

1. NO physician can ever say again that our illness does not exist;

2. All physicians in Ontario will receive a notice from OHIP of our new CFS Diagnostic Code 795 as a Neurological Ilness;

3. The fact that the Ontario Medical Association gave CFS a Diagnostic Code as a Neurological Illness will cause concern to Insurance companies;

4. It will help individuals applying for Ontario Disability Support Program and the Canada Pension Disability Plan;

5. It now makes it possible to collect Statistics in Ontario; and

6. It will hopefully give incentive to the other provinces to follow.

NOTE: The CFS Diagnostic Code is given to someone who is being diagnosed with CFS for the first time. The code is not a time-based fee code. Follow up appointments for any illness (heart disease, MS, CFS, etc. at the present time is usually billed as Supportive Therapy if you take more time than a normal appointment.


[Ed. Note: Congratulations and Thanks for making this happen to Dr. Alison Bested and The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario. They can be reached at 2336 Bloor Street West, P.O. Box 84522, Toronto, ON M6S 4Z7 Tel. (416) 222-8820 or 1-877-532-6682 Web: www.meao-cfs.on.ca]

 

[MEKoan]

[video=youtube;eh6CoUau-ac]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh6CoUau-ac[/video]


:victory:

 

[gracenote]

WOW! WOW! WOW!

(I tried to do one "wow" but it wouldn't let me. This is definitely worthy of 3 wows!)

 

[serenity]

this is great news, i needed it today

 

[Dr. Yes]

Be careful what you wish for, you Canadians. You could have a massive immigration problem on your hands before long... :Retro wink:

 

[MEKoan]

So, my little If, the left coast actually is just a teeny-tiny, itty-bitty less cool than staid old Ontario - if only for a moment.

It will pass.

I'm gonna revel, though :victory:

PS For non-Canuks, BC is our cool province and Ontario is not - usually

PPS Many thanks for making me super obnoxious tonight!

 

[leelaplay]

Hey - watch what you say about Ontario - it's my home. It's very cool.

but where did I put that flash dancing in the streets link?

and Dr Yes - we'd grant you honourary Canadian status in a heartbeat if we could.

oh - and Koan - I can not be held responsible for your obnoxiousness. :Retro tongue:

 

[MEKoan]

Are you a transplanted Ontarian, If? Aka: a deserter? One of the woossy ones who ran away to lotus land?

RE Dr Yes and his ilk: We can marry them! I've married people for worse reasons, heaven knows :innocent1:

ETA You mean I'm responsible for my own obnoxticity?! That will never do!

Still doing the happy dance!

:victory:

 

[Stuart]

How do provincial medical authorities establish commonality with other provinces?

Is this likely to be taken up by other provinces?

Are there some provinces that have kept some 'backwards' stances with other illnesses?

Is there a national body to appeal to?

I am becoming a Canadiophile!

 

[kerrilyn]

That is exciting. I attended a lecture by a Rheumy to a bunch of Fibro patients who said that we should be seen by neurologists (instead) but they don't want us. Does this mean neurologists across the province are going to run and hide when they see this?

 

[serenity]

i have a great neuro but he wouldn't take the paper out of my hand when i tried to give him a list of my fibro symptoms. he said he was not the guy. i have a 2nd nuero who is good too so i could go to him about it & see...
i can't get a rheumy to touch me, they wont' even take an appt with me

 

[Kati]

Be careful what you wish for, you Canadians. You could have a massive immigration problem on your hands before long... :Retro wink:

Dr Yes I suggest you apply for Canadian residency as a refugee status. Really your american government intends harm.

 

[Kati]

Well... This is really exciting news. I am afraid the neurologist will have some studying to do...It might make them cranky.

 

[julius]

I too am an expat Ontarian. But....probably soon to be repatriated, after hearing this news I have some serious thinking to do.

Koan, I may be in your neck o' the woods some time soon.

i don't really understand the this part;

" The CFS Diagnostic Code is given to someone who is being diagnosed with CFS for the first time. The code is not a time-based fee code. Follow up appointments for any illness (heart disease, MS, CFS, etc. at the present time is usually billed as Supportive Therapy if you take more time than a normal appointment."

Can someone explain?

And what are the actual implications for us.

God damn, I am soooo proud of our awesome country right now.

 

[Michelle]

Rock on, Ontario!

Koan said:

BC is our cool province and Ontario is not - usually

Indeed, Ontario is cold while BC is cool. ;-)

Viva Cascadia!

Dr Yes warned:

Be careful what you wish for, you Canadians. You could have a massive immigration problem on your hands before long...

Indeed. My godfather was just telling me last night that he's been perusing the Canadian immigration website a couple of times now. He'd get free health care for his MS and be able to legally marry his partner!

To which Kati replied:

Dr Yes I suggest you apply for Canadian residency as a refugee status.

Actually during a particularly grim moment under Bush the Younger, my boyfriend (a UK native), suggested I consider applying for asylum to the UK under the guise that the US was persecuting the poor. At the time my state was going through yet another major budget purge (recession + dwindling federal support for Medicaid) where they stopped paying for all prescription drug benefits for those of us on Medicaid. People died.

If I could move to Vancouver, I'd do it in a New York minute. Especially if it meant my boyfriend and I could actually live together.

 

[julius]

I'm pretty sure if you come 'visit' here, you are eligible for free medical care. If I do move back to Ontario and anyone needs a couch to crash on while they get some help, I would be happy to offer one.

 

[Kati]

[if:brought to you by the people who brought you the Canadian Consensus Criteria]

ME/CFS Given Official Recognition by Ontario Government!

This means that no one in Ontario who suffers from ME/CFS can ever again be told by a doctor that ME/CFS does not exist. If they do, tell them to look up Diagnostic Code 795. 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' has been given the

OHIP Diagnostic Code 795 by the Ontario Medical Association as a Neurological Illness!

Ideally, we wanted the Diagnostic Code to read: 'Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but we had to take what the Ontario Medical Association approved. The most important fact is that 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' is now officially recognized as a Neurological Illness in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Perhaps the other Provincial Ministries of Health in Canada will follow?

It has taken many years to get to this point of lobbying, meetings, etc. With the publication of the Canadian Definition, which was initiated by the National ME/FM Action Network, this made this possible. Over the last several years, The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario has been in meetings with the Ontario Ministry of Health to lobby for a Diagnostic Code and we are so pleased that we now finally have one. Dr. Alison Bested did a fantastic presentation to the Ontario Medical Association. What does it mean to have a (CFS) code"? It means that:

1. NO physician can ever say again that our illness does not exist;

2. All physicians in Ontario will receive a notice from OHIP of our new CFS Diagnostic Code 795 as a Neurological Ilness;

3. The fact that the Ontario Medical Association gave CFS a Diagnostic Code as a Neurological Illness will cause concern to Insurance companies;

4. It will help individuals applying for Ontario Disability Support Program and the Canada Pension Disability Plan;

5. It now makes it possible to collect Statistics in Ontario; and

6. It will hopefully give incentive to the other provinces to follow.

NOTE: The CFS Diagnostic Code is given to someone who is being diagnosed with CFS for the first time. The code is not a time-based fee code. Follow up appointments for any illness (heart disease, MS, CFS, etc. at the present time is usually billed as Supportive Therapy if you take more time than a normal appointment.


[Ed. Note: Congratulations and Thanks for making this happen to Dr. Alison Bested and The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario. They can be reached at 2336 Bloor Street West, P.O. Box 84522, Toronto, ON M6S 4Z7 Tel. (416) 222-8820 or 1-877-532-6682 Web: www.meao-cfs.on.ca]

Acknowledging a disease doesn't mean there will be more specialists that will treat the disease as treating physicians. I wonder how much of "I don't treat CFS" will happen, passing the puck to someone else. I hope that the college of physicians will be forced to get education hours and will each get a sweet copy of the canadian consensus. Dr Hyde would be the best person to educate all these people keen to serve the population

 

[paddygirl]

tug of war

i have a great neuro but he wouldn't take the paper out of my hand when i tried to give him a list of my fibro symptoms. he said he was not the guy. i have a 2nd nuero who is good too so i could go to him about it & see...
i can't get a rheumy to touch me, they wont' even take an appt with me

Reminds me of a funny moment in my Rheum office. I arrived with a stack of info. He said he has never heard of XMRV (No mention at any of his conferences - Really?) and I handed him the smallest most succinct pages I could find - to make it easy for him - he glanced quickly and handed them back.
a funny little tug of war ensued - but in reverse, and I won, he gracefully accepted them. Wonder if he has a shredder?

 

[dancer]

Wow!
Hooray for Canada!
* the specific Canadian Consensus definition
* banning ME/CFS patients from blood donation while XMRV is being sorted out
* clarifying and "officializing" ME/CFS

Gives me hope that some of this common sense will trickle south.

 

[Daisymay]

ME/CFS Given Official Recognition by Ontario Government as Neurological Disease

Just seen this on ESME facebook, very well done to everyone involved, hope the rest of Canada follows suit.

BW,

Daisymay


http://www.mefmaction.net/MECFSFM/MedicalAuthorities/MEOfficialRecognitionON/tabid/214/Default.aspx


ME/CFS Given Official Recognition by Ontario Government!

This means that no one in Ontario who suffers from ME/CFS can ever again be told by a doctor that ME/CFS does not exist. If they do, tell them to look up Diagnostic Code 795. 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' has been given the

OHIP Diagnostic Code 795 by the Ontario Medical Association as a Neurological Illness!

Ideally, we wanted the Diagnostic Code to read: 'Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but we had to take what the Ontario Medical Association approved. The most important fact is that 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome' is now officially recognized as a Neurological Illness in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Perhaps the other Provincial Ministries of Health in Canada will follow?

It has taken many years to get to this point of lobbying, meetings, etc. With the publication of the Canadian Definition, which was initiated by the National ME/FM Action Network, this made this possible. Over the last several years, The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario has been in meetings with the Ontario Ministry of Health to lobby for a Diagnostic Code and we are so pleased that we now finally have one. Dr. Alison Bested did a fantastic presentation to the Ontario Medical Association. What does it mean to have a (CFS) code"? It means that:

1. NO physician can ever say again that our illness does not exist;

2. All physicians in Ontario will receive a notice from OHIP of our new CFS Diagnostic Code 795 as a Neurological Ilness;

3. The fact that the Ontario Medical Association gave CFS a Diagnostic Code as a Neurological Illness will cause concern to Insurance companies;

4. It will help individuals applying for Ontario Disability Support Program and the Canada Pension Disability Plan;

5. It now makes it possible to collect Statistics in Ontario; and

6. It will hopefully give incentive to the other provinces to follow.

NOTE: The CFS Diagnostic Code is given to someone who is being diagnosed with CFS for the first time. The code is not a time-based fee code. Follow up appointments for any illness (heart disease, MS, CFS, etc. at the present time is usually billed as Supportive Therapy if you take more time than a normal appointment.


[Ed. Note: Congratulations and Thanks for making this happen to Dr. Alison Bested and The Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Association of Ontario. They can be reached at 2336 Bloor Street West, P.O. Box 84522, Toronto, ON M6S 4Z7 Tel. (416) 222-8820 or 1-877-532-6682 Web: www.meao-cfs.on.ca]