# 2018-021 Medical and Dental Care, Medical Treatment

Case summary

F&R Date: 2019-02-04

The grievor challenged the decision of the Base Surgeon where he was serving to deny him the medical treatment recommended by the specialist to whom he had been referred. The grievor deems that this treatment is necessary and is similar to the treatment he had received a few years earlier. He was asking that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) provide him with this treatment.

The Director Medical Policy (D Med Pol) stated that the recommended treatment is not covered by the CAF or by any of the Canadian provincial health plans due to a lack of clinical data with respect to this treatment. The D Med Pol also noted that the treatments in question received by the grievor in the past do not appear to have been paid for by the CAF.

The CAF Spectrum of Care document describes the publicly funded health and dental care benefits and services available to military personnel to ensure that they are medically fit and available to meet operational requirements.

The Committee noted that the requested treatment is not covered by at least one province and is covered neither by the Public Service Health Care Plan nor by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police health care system. Furthermore, the D Med Pol confirmed that there was insufficient reliable scientific evidence in clinical medicine in support of the requested treatment. Lastly, this treatment would have no impact on the grievor's operational readiness since no medical employment limitations have been imposed on him.

The Committee found that the Base Surgeon's decision to deny the grievor the recommended treatment was reasonable and that the grievor has not been aggrieved. The Committee recommended that the Final Authority (FA) not grant the grievor redress.

FA decision summary

The FA, the Director Canadian Forces Grievance Authority agreed with the Committee's findings and recommendation to not afford the redress sought.