Canadian Naturopathic Care – No More GST

Patients get a break, naturopathic doctors get recognition. That’s what happened in Ottawa this month as the federal government conferred tax-exempt status for NDs.

When the GST was originally enacted, fewer than half of Canadian provinces had legislation governing naturopathic medicine.  While NDs have been regulated in BC since 1923, many provinces had no legislation.  Therefore, government decided that while dentists, chiropractors and other licensed health practitioners would be exempt from GST, NDs would have to charge their patients.

Since the 1990s, over half of Canada has become a regulated jurisdiction for NDs: BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia all have provincial acts governing the profession.  With the advent of the 2014 budget, now when a patient sees an ND there is no tax applied to any health service provided in-clinic.  Read the government press release here.  Read the national ND association press release here.

Read the news release from the Federal Government: CAND GST PR Feb 2014 Dept of Finance Budget PR Feb 2014.

Read the news release from the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctors: CAND GST PR Feb 2014.

Ontario Naturopathic Medical College Will Be Able To Confer Bachelor Degrees

A second, no less significant advancement, was that the Ontario naturopathic medical college is under consideration to confer bachelor degrees.  While CCNM has existed for decades, and is recognized across Canada and the US as an accredited naturopathic college, the Ontario government has now created the opportunity to allow CCNM to formally provide degrees.  CCNM is one of only two accredited naturopathic colleges in Canada.  Find out more at www.ccnm.edu.