Odyssey Health Services?

[islander]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum, but old to the illness. I'll try to introduce myself properly in the next little while. I use "try" because I'm not very reliable .....

I'm currently on LTD benefits thru Great West Life, and have just been referred, by them, to Odyssey Health Services for assessment and possibly treatment. I've searched the net and haven't been able to find any info on anyone's experience with this company. In my previous life, I represented workers in disputes with insurance companies like GWL so have a very jaded view as to their interest in my wellbeing, and am concerned that this may be part of an effort to cut off my benefits. Has anyone out there had any experience with this group?

Thanks for any info, and thank you all for being out there...

Jan

[AJ]

I haven't had any experience with this group, but just wanted to say welcome to the forums Islander.

[Woody]

I am not familiar with either of the companies you mention but I am familiar with the practice ... or better yet, the road that they wish you would take. To be fair, in some cases the treatment or rehabilitation methods they promote can be helpful but the qualifier that I will add is this, you have to be ready for it.

In my case, I had to get my CSW involved as they where pushing me into a direction that I was not ready for. My Pdoc also got involved and skipping all the back and fourths it was asserted that my Pdoc was the primary health care provider and that he had the final say (in consultation with me of coarse) in what treatment would be acceptable or not. At that point, they back off completely.

[paul m]

Hello Islander and welcome. I had a look too for Odyssey and didn't find out much, positive or negative either. If this is the same company that is in Burlington Ont, the main doc is a Psychologist named Richard Marlin, not much on him either, except his conduct sheet at the The Ontario Cooege of Pyscholgists is clean and he is a memeber. http://www.cpo.on.ca/ .

I was never sent to any special clinic by my LTD provider, but I did have to go and see a shrink nominated by them. The following website may answer a few unasked questions. http://www.mooddisorders.on.ca/longterm.html .

In regard to insurance companies I don't have any great love for them either in general. GWL did work with several Mood Disorder Associations to prepare a website that does contain a lot of good info for both people with disabilities and their employers. I know it's not perfect, but again it has some usefull info. http://www.gwlcentreformentalhealth....lish/index.asp . Take Care. paul m

[Atlantis]

Hi Jan and Welcome to the Forum.

[uni]

Hello Islander/Jan, and welcome. Sorry, I'm not familiar with Odyssey Health Services either. I share your skepticism regarding their purpose and hope you will find more info somewhere.

I had a very negative experience with a company called Medysis, so if anyone is dealing with them I urge caution in what you reveal to them. They are supposedly there to "help", so it can be a rude awakening when in fact they do the opposite. So I guess I have a jaded view too! I wish you well.

[islander]

I was never sent to any special clinic by my LTD provider, but I did have to go and see a shrink nominated by them. The following website may answer a few unasked questions. http://www.mooddisorders.on.ca/longterm.html .

Paul, thanks for the info; I think the above link is particularly helpful to those dealing with LTD claims. One piece of info that is not mentioned, but that I discovered while representing claimants, is that most insurance co.'s (at least the big ones, which are the ones I dealt with) will automatically turn down any mental health claim. They know that at least some of us will find it too overwhelming to challenge that decision. Generally, they will back off when provided with more medical info and/or threats of legal action.

I will be going to Odyssey in Vancouver in mid-May. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Jan

[uni]

Hello Islander. I hope things go well for you when your appointment comes around. All the best.

Regarding the automatic turn-downs, it doesn't surprise me one bit. A few years ago there was a tv documentary on how the big insurance companies work (W5? 5th Estate?); a number of ex-employees spilled some pretty alarming info, including the type you've posted. That is why, sadly, I'm not surprised.

[gtchamp]

Just wanted to say hello Islander. Sorry I don't have any info to add to your inquiry even though I worked as a programmer for a group insurance company. You would think I would know more but I don't. I'm curious to see what they will have you do. Good luck.

[paul m]

Hello Jan. Even the federal gov't turns down a large percentage of CPP disability claims to start with(I'm only talking about mental illness claims here). Their record with t2201 (disability tax credit) is dismal. Upon appeall approx 95% of t2201's are approved. How can you reject a ton of claims to start with and then say, Whoops 95% of you were right.

In the mid 90's, litterally everybody with a mental illness was summarily cut off of their t2201 claim no matter how long they had been claiming it. It took much work by a dedicated few to get it back.

By 2003? we were reasonably allowed it again and I got a note saying I could appeal my 3 prior yrs income tax claims and possible have the tax credit for those yrs as well. But at that time I was in no health to file that appeal, no matter how simple. Plus it was up to me to pay for my doc to fill out the paper work. I think I lost the t2201 for about 7yrs due to bureaucratic swipes of the pen. Tht cost me about 8-9 grand over those yrs.

Mind you I would probably blown it all anyways, I was really manic around then. Let us know how it goes. Take Care. paul m

[Woody]

My T2201 was originally approved in 2004¿ and when I had to renew it last year, I was declined. Since then I have been going back and forth with Revenue Canada to 1. find out why exactly I was refused. 2. To have them release the information that they have on file for me (my pdoc did not make a copy of the form he sent to them). Everyone that I talk to says that I should qualify, so I keep pushing for it. There is not a lot of money involved, for me now it has become a mater of principle.

[paul m]

Hello Woody. Keep fighting. It's not a lot of money for the gov't either and they can afford it better. Take Care. paul m

[islander]

You're right about the CCP Disability too. Surprisingly for me, I had no problem getting my CCP Disability (although at that time I had been on LTD benefits for 3 years). In my experience, if a person does not qualify for LTD benefits thru private insurance, they are very unlikely to qualify for CPP benefits either.

To give the CPP people credit, however, once I did qualify for disability benefits, they automatically qualified me for survivor benefits without me having to re-apply. I was 32 when my 1st husband died, had no children and was not disabled at the time, so I did not qualify for survivor benefits. When I became disabled, I became entitled to those benefits, too.

RE: disability tax credit...I don't know why I've never even thought about applying for that. Am I right in assuming, Paul, that you are currently eligible for the tax credit, while Woody, you are now fighting for yours? GADS! I guess I better discuss with my dr next time I see him, and get on this one.

Jan

[paul m]

Hello Jan. Yes I do get the disability tax credit. I cannot use it all, but the remaining credits are transferrable to my wife.

The Mood Disorders Society of Cda has a pretty good article and does a very good job of explaining exactly what must be said to get it. (the $ figures are a little low, but it's still pretty accurate), you can find it on the web site below.

http://www.mooddisorderscanada.ca/page/more-information

The following is a partial reprint of one of my prior posts and takes in large parts of the MDSCs info

The key phrase to get this credit is you are :

are markedly restricted in their ability to perform a basic activity of daily living as certified by a qualified medical practitioner, or would be markedly restricted were it not for extensive therapy to sustain a vital function. Individuals are markedly restricted if, even with therapy or the use of appropriate devices and medication, they are blind or unable to perform a basic activity of daily living, or if they require an inordinate amount of time to perform the activity, all or substantially all of the time. The basic activities of daily living are: walking; feeding or dressing oneself; perceiving, thinking and remembering; speaking; hearing; and, eliminating bodily waste.

I for example, have a lot more trouble remembering things than any ordinary person, I have a lot of trouble with my perception. Those troubles prevent me from going to wedding dances, hockey games and even family functions. Sometimes. if I go to a dance I may precieve that people are against me. Whether that is perception or thinking I am unsure. I cannot take an indepth university course because I cannot think or study well enough, sometimes I cannot read a simple book because my thinking is not solid enough or I cannot remember what was on the prior page. I used to be able to pass calculas courses at university, now I cannot spell it right.

All of those things mean that I am unable to perform a basic activity of dailey living substantially all of the time. Whereas my brother would have no problem doing all of those. I qualify for the credit. Over 90% of people who appeal end up getting the credit. Take Care. paul m

P.S. Docs are notorious for not filling in the form correctly, try and persaud your doc to give you copies of all f the forms before he mails them back. Some docs just will not and with others we all learn the hard way.

[Woody]

Islander, it might be to your advantage to speak to a tax accountant. Because you have not been claiming it and you have been on a disability, you could be eligible for up to 7 years retroactive.