Health Care Equipment and Supplies Effective March 3, 2008, the WSIB requires purchases of approved health care equipment and supplies on behalf of workers to be made from one of the WSIB’s three preferred suppliers: Medical Mart, Motion Specialties, and Shoppers HomeHealthCare. Preferred Supplier Contact Information Description Medical Mart 1-866-893-0547, Ext. 313 www.medimart.com Carries all medical supplies and equipment. Provides delivery. Motion Specialties 1-800-267-2920 www.themotiongroup.com Carries wide selection of medical supplies and equipment. Has storefront locations, accepts online orders, and provides delivery services. Shoppers HomeHealthCare* 1-877-752-8885 www.shoppershomehealthcare.ca Carries all medical supplies and equipment. Has storefront locations and provides delivery services. Health care equipment and supplies are items used as a treatment or functional aid during the worker’s recovery, or to improve or maintain their independent living. This includes items such as canes, crutches, back rests and supports, walkers, and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS) units. Categories of Products Assistive and Rehab Devices Walkers (e.g. standard folding, rollator) Canes, Crutches and Accessories Bathroom Equipment (e.g. tub stools, bath benches, commodes, toilet seats, grab bars, handrails) Reaching Aids TENS / NMES and Supplies (e.g. electrodes, lead wires, conductive gel, lotion, adhesive tape) Rental of Walkers, Standard Commodes or TENS Off-the Shelf* Supports Abdominal Supports (e.g. abdominal binder) Ankle Supports (e.g. soft support or neoprene sleeve) Cervical Supports (e.g. cervical pillow, soft foam collar) Elbow Supports (e.g. elbow sleeve, splint) Foot Orthotics (e.g. thermal or gel insoles, rigid arch support insoles) Hand Supports (e.g. soft support, metacarpal splint) Knee Supports (e.g. soft support or neoprene sleeve for knee) Leg Supports (e.g. shin support, splint) Shoulder Supports (e.g. sling, shoulder immobilizer, splint) Torso Supports (e.g. lumbar supports, lumbosacral or dorsolumbar) Wrist Supports (e.g. soft support, neoprene) * Over the counter does not include products that require customization. Medical Supplies Catheters (all types – e.g. Foley, indwelling, external, intermittent) Incontinence Supplies (e.g. incontinence pads, tubing, urinary protective underwear) Ostomy Supplies Pressurized Stockings Skin Care Supplies (e.g. moisturizer or skin cream, ointment, vinyl gloves) Tensor Bandages Urinary Supplies (e.g. leg bag, cleaning products, drainage bag) Wound Care Supplies (e.g. adhesive remover, adhesive tape, disinfectant, dressing, gauze, skin prep, sponges) Two Operational Policies have been developed to support this initiative and are available for review on the WSIB’s website. A short Q & A has also been created and provides additional details about this initiative - including cases where health care equipment and supplies can be purchased from a non-preferred supplier on an exceptional basis. 17-01-07 Preferred Supplier of Health Care Products/Services 17-07-06 Health Care Equipment and Supplies General inquiries about this initiative can be directed to a dedicated toll-free line, 1-877-434-3443, established by the WSIB. It will be in operation Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Calls regarding specific claims issues should be directed to the adjudicator or nurse case manager assigned to the worker’s claim. If you do not know who is assigned to the claim, call the WSIB’s toll-free general inquiry line (1-800-387-0750) and have the name and claim number of the worker handy. Questions & Answers for Suppliers on Health Care Equipment and Supplies Initiative Q-1: What is the definition of a preferred supplier? A: A preferred supplier is an organization that, among other things, has entered into an agreement with the WSIB for the ongoing provision of specified health care products/services that workers may require as a result of a work-related injury/disease. The full definition of a preferred supplier can be found under the Guidelines heading on Page 2 of the Preferred Supplier of Health Care Products/Services Operational Policy. Q-2: Are there instances in which non-preferred suppliers can receive payment from the WSIB for approved health care equipment and supplies purchased on behalf of workers after March 3, 2008? A: Yes. Examples of exceptions in which purchases will be allowed by the WSIB include: • purchases that are made prior to the allowance of a WSIB claim • instances when there is an urgent need by a worker for a product that has either broken or is out of stock from a preferred supplier • purchases that are made for Out-of-Province claims. Any questions regarding exceptions should be discussed with the adjudicator or nurse case manager assigned to the claim. If you don’t know who is assigned to the claim, you can call the WSIB’s general inquiry line toll-free at 1-800-387-0750 to find out. Please have the claim number available. Q-3: What will happen if health care equipment and supplies are purchased from a non-preferred supplier before March 3, 2008 but the invoice is received after that date by the WSIB? Will it still be paid by the WSIB? A: Yes. The WSIB will use the service date to determine if an invoice received after March 3, 2008 from a non-preferred supplier will be paid. Keep in mind that workers must still get approval from the WSIB for: • the health care equipment/supplies • the cost, and • the supplier/provider. Q-4: Who can I reach for more details about the process that determined the current preferred suppliers? A: For more details about the RFP process that was conducted in 2004, you can contact Janine Dyck, Manager, Supplier Management at (416) 344-2512 or toll-free at 1-800-387-0750, ext. 2512. Q-5: What if I have a general question about this initiative? Who should I contact? A: We have established a dedicated toll-free line (1-877-434-3443) to support this initiative. The line will be in operation Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have a question regarding a specific claim issue, please continue to contact the adjudicator or nurse case manager.