Ventilation Equipment Funding in Ontario

Ventilation equipment funding in Ontario is available through the Ministry of Long-Term Care’s Assistive Devices Program (ADP). The program is available to any resident of Ontario who has a valid Ontario Health card issued in their name, and has a respiratory illness or dysfunction that results in a need for respiratory equipment and supplies. In order to receive the equipment, the individual has to meet ADP’s medical eligibility criteria. ADP will fund all the necessary equipment and give an allowance (roughly $4,000 divided quarterly) for required supplies (hoses, batteries, suction catheters, peroxide, distilled water). Equipment and respiratory therapist (RT) support are provided through the Ventilator Equipment Pool that was established in 1994. The Ventilator Equipment Pool (VEP) is a provincial service operated by Kingston General Hospital. It provides life-enhancing equipment to thousands of clients across Ontario. VEP equipment is loaned to individuals who have a long-term physical disability or illness requiring mechanical ventilation, such as muscular dystrophy (MD) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) free of charge. Clients who no longer require the use of the equipment must return it to the VEP. There it is cleaned, serviced, tested and loaned to the next eligible client.

For more information contact:

Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Assistive Devices Program
7th Floor, 5700 Yonge Street
Toronto, ON M2M 4K5

Toronto 416-327-8804
Toll-free 1-800-268-6021
TDD/TTY 416-327-4282
TDD/TTY 1-800-387-5559
Fax 416-327-8192
e-mail: adp@ontario.ca