Albertans now have better access to diagnostic imaging because chiropractors and eligible physiotherapists can refer directly for many publicly funded tests, including X‑rays and certain ultrasound exams, under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP). This change helps patients get the right tests at the right time without always needing an extra appointment with a family doctor just to obtain an imaging requisition.
At Optimum Wellness Centres clinics across Alberta, this means your care team can coordinate appropriate imaging as part of a seamless, patient‑centred treatment plan.
What Has Changed?
In recent years, Alberta restored public funding for many diagnostic imaging services when they are ordered by qualified allied health professionals, such as chiropractors and physiotherapists, working within their regulated scope of practice. This applies when:
- The provider is authorized by their regulatory college to order diagnostic imaging.
- The test is medically necessary and expected to influence diagnosis or treatment.
- The imaging is performed at a facility that bills AHCIP (for example, a publicly funded community radiology clinic).
When these conditions are met, the cost of eligible imaging is covered for patients with Alberta Health Care coverage, similar to tests ordered by physicians.
What Types of Imaging Can Be Referred?
The exact tests depend on the provider’s authorization and current provincial policies, but in general, chiropractors and eligible physiotherapists may be able to refer for:
- X‑rays
- Useful for suspected fractures, osteoarthritis, joint alignment issues, and some spine conditions i.e. scoliosis.
- Helps confirm or rule out serious structural problems before starting or progressing treatment.
- Musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound
- Assesses soft tissues such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joint recesses.
- Commonly used for shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, ankle, and other sports and overuse injuries.
- DVT (deep vein thrombosis) and other vascular ultrasound
- Used when there are concerning signs of possible blood clots in the limbs, such as swelling, warmth, or unexplained pain.
- Supports rapid triage and referral for urgent medical management when needed.
- Interventional Pain Management Injections
- Trigger Point Injections
- Cortisone Injections
- Medial Branch Nerve Blocks and Nerve Ablation.
Advanced imaging such as MRI may still require referral through a physician or specialist for public funding, but your chiropractor or eligible physiotherapist can help determine when that pathway is appropriate.
Benefits for Patients at Optimum Wellness Centres
Having chiropractors and eligible physiotherapist able to refer for public diagnostic imaging offers several important advantages for Albertans:
- Faster access to answers
- When imaging is appropriate, your provider can request it directly, often reducing delays and extra appointments.
- Earlier information can speed up decisions about whether to start, modify, or escalate treatment.
- More efficient health‑care use
- Allowing clinicians to work to their full scope helps free up physician appointments for issues that truly require a doctor’s visit.
- It reduces duplicated assessments and paperwork, supporting a more efficient system overall.
- Better‑targeted imaging
- Chiropractors and physiotherapists perform detailed, movement‑based assessments and track your progress over time.
- This allows them to request imaging that is tightly linked to your symptoms, function, and rehab goals.
At Optimum Wellness Centres, imaging is always used judiciously and in line with evidence‑based guidelines. Your provider will only recommend tests when the results are likely to change your diagnosis, clarify risks, or meaningfully influence your care plan.
What to Expect as a Patient
If your chiropractor or eligible physiotherapist at Optimum Wellness Centres believes imaging will add important information, they will:
- Explain why the test is being considered, what it can and cannot show, and how it may affect your treatment.
- Complete a requisition for an appropriate publicly funded imaging facility or refer you to an appropriate practitioner, when criteria for coverage are met.
- Review the imaging report with you once it is available and integrate the findings into your treatment plan.
- Communicate with your family doctor or other members of your health‑care team as needed to ensure coordinated care.
From simple reassurance to identifying conditions that require urgent medical attention, appropriate imaging can be a powerful tool, when used at the right time, for the right reasons, by the right provider. Across Alberta, Optimum Wellness Centres is committed to combining thorough clinical assessment with responsible use of public diagnostic imaging to support your recovery and long‑term wellness. Contact us to learn more about Alberta’s new public diagnostic policies.