Plain language guide, updated September 2026
Are Custom Orthotics Covered by Insurance in Ontario?
Often, yes. Many extended health plans pay for custom orthotics if you follow their rules. Here's what most plans ask for, so you can check before you order.
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The Short Version
- Many extended health plans cover custom orthotics, often with a dollar limit and a limit on how often.
- Most plans need a prescription from a doctor, podiatrist or chiropodist. Some also accept a nurse practitioner.
- Plans ask for proof: a foot exam, how your feet were cast or scanned, details from the lab and a paid receipt.
- Some plans only pay for orthotics from certain professionals. GreenShield and OTIP, for example, don't list physiotherapists. Check your plan before you order.
- OHIP and Ontario's Assistive Devices Program don't pay for foot orthotics.
Looking for orthotics near Hamilton or Ancaster? See how our custom orthotics work.
What Most Plans Ask For
Insurers publish their rules for orthotic claims. Most ask for the same five things.
| What they ask for | What it means |
|---|---|
| A prescription | A note from a prescriber your plan accepts. It names your foot problem, which is called the diagnosis. |
| A foot exam | A check of your feet and how you walk. Plans may call it a biomechanical exam or a gait analysis. |
| The casting method | How the shape of your feet was taken, such as a foam box, a plaster cast or a 3D scan. Some plans name the scan types they accept. |
| Lab details | Who made your orthotics and what they're made of. Some plans ask for the lab's own invoice. |
| A paid receipt | An itemized receipt that shows you paid in full, and the date you picked up your orthotics. |
Some plans say they won't pay for orthotics made from a pressure mat, an ink footprint or your shoe size.
Who Can Prescribe Them
Most plans accept
A doctor, such as your family doctor or a specialist. A podiatrist. A chiropodist.
Some plans also accept
A nurse practitioner. Your plan booklet lists who counts, or you can call the number on your benefits card.
Physiotherapists can check your feet and supply orthotics. Most plans don't accept a physiotherapist's prescription, so you get that from your doctor, podiatrist or chiropodist.
Who Can Supply Them
This is where plans differ most. Some plans publish a list of the professionals they pay for orthotics from, such as podiatrists, chiropodists, pedorthists and orthotists. These are people trained to treat feet or to make and fit orthotics. GreenShield and OTIP, for example, don't list physiotherapists. Other plans focus on the prescription and the papers instead.
Before you order, ask your insurer
- Will you pay for orthotics from a physiotherapist?
- Who can write my prescription?
- Do you pay for orthotics made from a 3D foot scan?
- How much do you pay, and how often?
- What papers do you need with my claim?
Write down the answers, the date and the name of the person you spoke with.
How Often Plans Pay
Most plans set two limits: a dollar amount and a time period. For example, a plan might pay up to a set amount for one pair a year, or for one pair every few years. Some plans group orthotics with other medical supplies under one yearly maximum. Your plan booklet lists both limits.
Have two plans, such as your own and a spouse's? Claim on your own plan first. You can often claim the rest on the second plan.
Red Flags Insurers Watch For
Insurers look closely at orthotic claims. They may turn down or review claims like these:
- Free orthotics, or "two for the price of one" deals
- Orthotics for your whole family, without each person being checked
- Orthotics made from an ink footprint or your shoe size
- Orthotics sold at a trade show or home show
- Being asked to sign a claim form and hand it to the seller
If an offer sounds too good to be true, ask your insurer first.
A Checklist to Take to Your Doctor
Ask for a prescription
Ask for a prescription for custom foot orthotics.
Check the details
Make sure it names your foot problem and has the date, your name and the prescriber's signature.
Call your insurer
Ask the questions above before you order. Write down the answers.
Keep copies
Keep the prescription, the exam report, the lab details and your receipt.
How It Works at Interlink
Your orthotic assessment is free. If orthotics suit you, we scan your feet in 3D. If your plan needs a prescription, we scan once you have it. Unique Orthotics, a lab in Vaughan, Ontario, makes your pair in about 1 to 2 weeks. The fitting visit is a regular $95 visit.
Custom orthotics cost $300 to $500 a pair. You pay the clinic, then send the claim to your insurer. Some plans pay for orthotics from a physiotherapist and some do not, so call your insurer before your scan. We give you the exam report, the casting method, the lab details and a paid receipt.
Custom orthotics at InterlinkAre custom orthotics worth it?Fees and coverage
Orthotics and Insurance FAQs
Does OHIP cover custom orthotics?
No. OHIP doesn't pay for custom foot orthotics, and Ontario's Assistive Devices Program doesn't fund foot orthotics either. If you get ODSP or Ontario Works, ask your caseworker about help with devices.
Do I need a prescription for orthotics in Ontario?
You don't need one to buy orthotics. Most insurance plans need one before they pay, from a doctor, podiatrist or chiropodist. Some also accept one from a nurse practitioner.
Can a physiotherapist prescribe orthotics for insurance?
Most plans don't accept a prescription from a physiotherapist. A physiotherapist can check your feet and supply orthotics, and you get the prescription from your doctor, podiatrist or chiropodist. Some plans don't pay for orthotics from a physiotherapist, so check your plan first.
Why was my orthotics claim turned down?
Common reasons are a missing prescription, or a prescriber or supplier the plan doesn't accept. Others are a casting method the plan doesn't accept, missing papers, or a limit you've already used. Call your insurer and ask which one applied.
Can I use a health spending account, or claim orthotics on my taxes?
Often, yes. The Canada Revenue Agency lists orthopaedic inserts as a medical expense when you have a prescription. Health spending accounts usually follow the same list. Keep your prescription and your receipt.
How much do custom orthotics cost?
Prices vary by clinic and by type. At our clinic, custom orthotics cost $300 to $500 a pair, and the orthotic assessment is free.
Questions About Orthotics and Your Plan?
Book a free orthotic assessment. We'll check your feet and tell you if orthotics make sense for you.
Free orthotic assessment · $300 to $500 a pair · You pay, then claim from your insurer
This guide is general information, current as of September 2026. It isn't insurance advice. Your insurer's rules decide what your plan pays.
Sources: GreenShield claim requirements for orthotics, Canada Life claim guidelines for orthotics, OTIP on buying custom orthotics, Ontario Assistive Devices Program and the Canada Revenue Agency list of medical expenses. Checked 23 September 2026.
Reviewed by Dhiman Patel, MScPT, registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario. Last reviewed 23 September 2026.