- For accepted work-related claims
- $0 out-of-pocket to the worker
Coverage & Cost
WSIB Coverage for HBOT
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) provides health-care benefits for workers with accepted claims for work-related injuries or illnesses. When HBOT is clinically appropriate for an accepted condition and aligns with the chronic outpatient indications Evolve treats, WSIB may authorize and fund treatment at Evolve Hyperbarics.
Where It Applies
Work-Related Conditions Where
HBOT May Apply at Evolve
Evolve is an outpatient network. The WSIB-funded indications we see most often are the chronic and subacute sequelae of workplace injuries — not the acute injuries themselves, which are managed at acute-care hyperbaric services.
- Chronic non-healing wounds that follow a workplace injury or surgery
- Compromised skin grafts and flaps from reconstructive surgery related to a work injury
- Chronic refractory osteomyelitis following a workplace trauma or post-traumatic surgery
- Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss where the claim picture involves occupational exposure (case-by-case)
- Delayed radiation injury where the original cancer claim is work-related (uncommon but recognized)
The Process
How WSIB Authorization Works
1
The injured worker, their treating physician, or the WSIB case manager contacts Evolve to discuss the case.
2
Evolve provides a clinical assessment summary and recommended treatment plan to the WSIB nurse consultant or case manager.
3
WSIB reviews the request and issues authorization (typically for an initial block of sessions with reassessment built in).
4
Treatment begins at the patient’s preferred Evolve location; we bill WSIB directly.
5
If additional sessions are clinically indicated beyond the initial authorization, we submit a progress report and request extension.
What the worker pays
Nothing. When WSIB authorizes HBOT for an accepted claim, the worker has no out-of-pocket cost for the consultation, the treatment sessions, or follow-up. We do not bill the worker; all invoicing flows directly between Evolve and WSIB.
To Process a Case
Information Needed to
Process a WSIB Case
- WSIB claim number
- Date of injury and accepted nature of injury
- Treating physician’s referral
- Recent imaging, wound photographs, or operative reports as applicable
- Name and contact information for the WSIB case manager or nurse consultant
Important
Limits and Limitations
WSIB does not automatically cover HBOT for every claim. Coverage depends on:
- Whether the underlying injury is on WSIB’s accepted claim list
- Whether HBOT is clinically appropriate and evidence-supported for that condition
- Whether the WSIB nurse consultant or case manager authorizes the treatment plan
Off-label indications (e.g., post-concussive symptoms following a workplace head injury) are generally not covered by WSIB and would require alternative funding.
Acute work-related hyperbaric emergencies
Acute crush injuries, acute carbon monoxide poisoning, acute decompression sickness, gas gangrene, and acute thermal burns are emergency hyperbaric indications. WSIB may fund those treatments, but they are delivered at tertiary acute-care hyperbaric facilities (Toronto General Hospital is the regional referral centre), not at outpatient clinics like Evolve.
For employers, physicians, and case managers
If you are managing a WSIB claim and considering HBOT, our team can provide a same-week clinical opinion on whether the case is likely to benefit. Call our central referral line at 1-888-851-4268 or fax referral documents to 1 (888) 906-4268. We are familiar with WSIB documentation requirements and can streamline the authorization workflow.
References
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (Ontario). Operational Policy Manual: Health Care Benefits. Document No. 17-01-01.
- Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (Ontario). Operational Policy Manual: Entitlement Criteria.
Medical review
Dr. Vik Agarwal MD CCFP FRCPC CAQ-HP — President, Evolve Medical Group
Dr. Seema Agarwal MD CCFP CAQ-HP — Chief Medical Officer, Evolve Hyperbarics
Last reviewed: May 2026 · Next: May 2027
Get Started
Have an Accepted WSIB Claim?
Call 1-888-851-4268 and we’ll work with your case manager and treating physician to assess
whether HBOT is appropriate and coordinate authorization. We bill WSIB directly.