ADP funding for mobility equipment in Ontario

ADP pays 75 percent of the ADP approved price and you pay 25 percent. If you receive social assistance benefits under Ontario Works, the Ontario Disability Support Program or Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities, ADP may pay 100 percent of the approved price, depending on the funding model. Note that this is a percentage of the approved price, not of whatever the equipment costs, so features beyond the approved specification are yours to pay for.

Manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs and power add-ons for a manual chair, approved mobility scooters, eligible wheeled walkers, and specialised positioning supports for wheelchairs such as seat cushions, backrests and powered tilt and recline. ADP contributes only toward the most basic equipment required for ongoing daily mobility as the program defines it.

No. ADP does not cover stairlifts, hospital beds, mattresses, ramps, porch lifts, ceiling lifts, patient lifts, lift chairs, grab bars or door openers, whatever a supplier implies. For those items the useful routes are the federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit, March of Dimes HVMP, ODSP for the ADP share, WSIB, Veterans Affairs and the Interim Federal Health Program, and we will tell you which applies.

No. ADP eligibility is not income tested: any Ontario resident with a valid health card and a qualifying long-term disability can be eligible regardless of income. What differs is the funding model, not an income test: recipients of Ontario Works, ODSP or ACSD may receive 100 percent of the approved price or maximum amount rather than the standard 75 percent contribution.

Any Ontario resident with a valid health card issued in their own name and a long-term physical disability requiring a mobility device for six months or longer, meeting the device-specific criteria. You do not qualify if you already receive support for the same equipment from WSIB, or if you are a Group A veteran receiving Veterans Affairs support for a pensioned condition.

An occupational therapist or physiotherapist registered with ADP as an authorizer assesses your functional mobility and recommends the appropriate device. If you are eligible, the authorizer completes the application and it is submitted to ADP for review. We help you find an authorizer if you do not have one, attend the assessment, and submit the paperwork at no cost to you.

Possibly. It depends on the authorizer and their employer, because ADP does not set or pay authorizer assessment fees. Ask about it when the assessment is booked so there are no surprises, and tell us if cost is a barrier because we can often point you to an authorizer who does not charge.

You do. If you are unable to sign, someone with the legal authority to act on your behalf may sign instead, which may be a spouse, parent, child, power of attorney or public trustee.

ADP indicates it should take no more than eight weeks to review a properly completed application. The phrase that matters is properly completed, because an incomplete file goes back and starts the wait again. Submitting correctly the first time is most of what we do for you.

ADP only pays the amount approved after the date of approval. If you ask a vendor to order equipment before ADP has approved funding, you are responsible for the full amount if the application is not approved. We will not encourage you to order early, and we will tell you plainly where you stand.

No on both counts. ADP does not pay for repairs and maintenance, and it does not pay for batteries for power wheelchairs. You own the equipment and are responsible for looking after it. The exception is equipment supplied through the Central Equipment Pool, where routine maintenance and repairs are provided at no charge.

Any power wheelchair that includes powered dynamic tilt or recline, and any request to add those functions to an existing chair, must go through the Central Equipment Pool for High Technology Wheelchairs. CEP supplies them at a discounted price, covers routine maintenance and repairs at no charge, and rebates part of your cost when the chair is returned to the pool. All components of the system, including positioning devices, go through CEP.

ADP may contribute toward a new device if your medical condition or functional ability has changed, your body size has changed so the current device no longer fits, or the device is worn out, out of warranty and beyond reasonable repair. The contribution varies depending on the funding you have already received. ADP does not pay to replace equipment that was lost, stolen, or damaged through misuse, so insuring it is worth considering.

Contact your authorizer first, because if further information supporting eligibility exists they can submit it to the program directly. If you remain ineligible you can appeal in writing by mail, email or fax, including your name, contact details, health card number, the decision being appealed, why, and any supporting documentation. The program notifies you of the outcome in writing.

Then there are other routes and we will map them for you: the federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit, March of Dimes HVMP, ODSP, WSIB, Veterans Affairs and the Interim Federal Health Program, plus private or extended health insurance and community charities that fund equipment in some circumstances. Refurbished equipment is another honest option.

Yes. You can choose features beyond the approved specification and pay the difference yourself, on top of your percentage share of the approved price. We itemise the approved portion and the upgrades separately on your quote so you can see exactly what each one is costing you and remove anything you do not want.

Yes, and you choose at the time of assessment. ADP advises shopping around among registered vendors because service varies considerably. What we would ask you to compare is not just price but who helps you find an authorizer, who attends the assessment, who submits the paperwork, and who services the equipment afterwards.