Authorized Medical Practitioners in Alberta

If you have qualifying fees from medical practitioners, the Canada Revenue Agency allows you to include them when claiming your Medical Expense Tax Credit. However, you cannot include fees from all type of practitioners. Instead, you need to ensure your practitioner is considered authorized in your province or territory.

In Alberta, a wide range of general health care professionals are considered authorized for the purposes of the Medical Expense Tax Credit.

In particular, if you have fees from a licensed practical nurse, a registered practical nurse, a registered nurse or a registered nurse practitioner, these are eligible to be claimed. Additionally, if you have fees from a midwife, pharmacist, physician or surgeon, you may also include these amounts when calculating your Medical Expense Tax Credit.

As technicians and assistants begin to play a larger role in health care, the Canada Revenue Agency is also recognizing their contributions. As a result, residents of Alberta may also claim fees from emergency medical technicians, medical lab technologists and medical radiation technologists. Additionally, combined lab and x-ray technologists also fall on the list of authorized practitioners.

In Alberta, you can get care from the tip of your toes to the tops of your ears, and usually include the fees on your income tax return. In particular, audiologists, hearing aid practitioners and podiatrists are considered authorized.

Additionally, if you have fees from occupational therapists, physiotherapists or physical therapists, you may also include these on your return. Finally, fees from dietitians, registered nutritionists, respiratory therapists and speech language pathologists are also claimable.

If you have fees from a psychologist or registered psychiatric nurse, you can include these in your eligible medical expenses when completing your tax return. Additionally, you can include fees from social workers.

Unfortunately, residents of Alberta cannot include mental health care fees from counselling therapists, marriage and family therapists, or sexologists as you can in other areas.

In addition to surgeons and physicians, residents of Alberta may also claim fees from dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental technologists and dentists. You may also include fees from denturists, dental mechanics and denturologists on your return.

For your eye care needs, the Canada Revenue Agency allows you to claim fees from both opticians and optometrists.

In Alberta, the list of authorized practitioners in the alternative health care field includes acupuncturists, chiropractors and naturopaths.

Unfortunately, if a medical practitioner is not considered authorized, you cannot include applicable fees when calculating your Medical Expense Tax Credit. However, you should always ask your practitioner if he falls into more than one category. For example, while family therapists are not considered eligible, fees from psychologists are. If your family therapist is also a psychologist, you can claim these fees on your return.