Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Ottawa | Canada Hyperbarics
Ottawa Parliament Hill with the Peace Tower, Centre Block, Chateau Laurier, and autumn Ottawa River
OTT Covered 2 facilities

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Ottawa

Ontario. The Ottawa Hospital is OHIP-covered for all 14 conditions. Terapia operates as Ottawa's private self-pay option. Details below.

View 2 Facilities Cost & Coverage FAQ

Quick Answer

HBOT in Ottawa: Ottawa has two hyperbaric oxygen therapy facilities, The Ottawa Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, which is OHIP-covered for all 14 recognised conditions and serves as the regional referral centre for eastern Ontario and patients from Nunavut, and Terapia on Baseline Road, a private medical clinic offering self-pay HBOT. Private sessions at Terapia cost approximately $200–$300.

Key facts at a glance

City:
Ottawa, Ontario
Facilities:
2 (1 hospital, 1 private)
Provincial plan:
OHIP
Coverage:
14 conditions at hospital
Typical wait:
2–10 weeks (hospital)
Emergency:
24/7 (Ottawa Hosp)
Private cost:
$200–$300 / session
Last updated:

Facilities

2

1 hospital · 1 private

Provincial Plan

OHIP

14 conditions at hospital

Typical Wait

2–10 weeks (hospital)

For elective indications

Emergency

24/7 (Ottawa Hosp)

CO, air embolism, DCS

HBOT Facilities in Ottawa

OHIP covers HBOT for all 14 recognised conditions at The Ottawa Hospital, and select eligible Independent Health Facilities may also bill OHIP for approved indications (eligibility varies by facility and indication; confirm directly with each clinic). Physician referral required. Terapia operates as a private clinic; confirm OHIP eligibility for your indication directly with the clinic.

Independent directory, no paid placements learn more

Hospital Programmes, Provincial Coverage Available

Private Clinics

Coverage varies by clinic and indication. Some may bill the provincial plan for approved indications; others operate on a self-pay basis. Confirm directly with each clinic before booking.

Terapia

Private

Ottawa, ON

Private medical HBOT clinic. Ottawa's only private HBOT. 1300 Baseline Road.

613-686-1180 terapia.ca →

How Much Does HBOT Cost in Ottawa?

HBOT at The Ottawa Hospital is fully OHIP-covered when you have a physician referral and one of the 14 recognised indications. Terapia on Baseline Road offers private self-pay HBOT for patients seeking broader indication acceptance or faster scheduling.

For an OHIP-covered indication

$0 with physician referral

OHIP-covered at The Ottawa Hospital with a physician referral. Parking at the General Campus is the main out-of-pocket cost.

Private-pay option

$200–$300 / session

Some facilities offer private-pay HBOT, typically for conditions outside the recognised indications list or for patients preferring faster scheduling. Approximate per-session rate at the Ottawa private clinic. Contact the clinic directly for current pricing and package rates, details on the facility card above.

Note: Patients from western Quebec may be referred to The Ottawa Hospital; RAMQ does not cover out-of-province OHIP rates, so Quebec residents should confirm billing arrangements with the hospital before treatment.

For Patients

See HBOT cost across all Canadian provinces and cities

Full per-province table, package discounts, what affects price, extended health insurance, and source-traced canonical numbers.

See cost reference

How to Get a Referral for HBOT in Ottawa

For OHIP-covered treatment, obtain a referral from your family physician or specialist to The Ottawa Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit (613-737-8966). The Ottawa Hospital is the canonical Ontario OHIP-covered programme and the reference facility for the provincial 14-condition list.

  1. 1 Verify your condition is one of the 14 Health Canada-recognised indications.
  2. 2 Ask your family physician, oncologist, or other specialist for a referral to any Ottawa-area facility that bills OHIP for HBOT. Pick a facility from the list above and share its contact details with the referring clinician.
  3. 3 Expect an initial assessment appointment; urgent indications such as carbon monoxide poisoning or diving accidents proceed as emergencies through the ED.
  4. 4 For off-label indications or faster scheduling, consider a private-pay clinic from the list above. Contact details are on each facility card.
  5. 5 Nunavut patients are routed to The Ottawa Hospital via the Government of Nunavut Medical Travel programme, confirm with your community health centre.

Emergency HBOT Access in Ottawa

The Ottawa Hospital provides 24/7 emergency hyperbaric access for eastern Ontario and serves as the referral centre for Nunavut patients requiring HBOT.

Call 911 for any suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, diving accident, or air embolism. EMS transports to the regional hospital emergency department, which activates the hyperbaric unit on arrival. Inter-facility transfers for hyperbaric emergencies are coordinated through the receiving hospital. See the hospital facility card above for the specific Ottawa destination and contact information.

Getting There & Accessibility

Transit, parking, and drop-off details for each facility.

The Ottawa Hospital (General Campus)

501 Smyth Road. Served by OC Transpo Route 7. Paid patient parking on site; accessible drop-off at main entrance.

Terapia (private)

1300 Baseline Road, west Ottawa. Reached via OC Transpo from central Ottawa. Free on-site parking.

Conditions Commonly Treated

The Ottawa Hospital treats all 14 OHIP-covered conditions. Given Ottawa's concentration of federal government employees and military personnel, conditions include carbon monoxide poisoning and crush injuries, alongside radiation injuries from The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre.

14 Health Canada-recognised conditions

Local Research Connection

The University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine maintains hyperbaric teaching affiliations with The Ottawa Hospital. Research collaborations with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute have contributed to clinical practice for late radiation tissue injury.

Local Context

The Ottawa Hospital publishes the OHIP-covered 14-condition list that is widely referenced as the canonical Ontario summary. It is also the closest OHIP-covered centre for patients in western Quebec who prefer English-language care.

All 14 conditions Research database National coverage guide

Nearest Alternatives to Ottawa

If facilities in Ottawa are fully booked or you need access outside regular hours, these programmes serve the surrounding region.

Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal

Montréal, QC · 2 hours east

Nearest Quebec hospital programme. Multiplace + monoplace, 24/7 emergency. For French-language care.

Toronto General / UHN

Toronto, ON · 4.5 hours west

Among Canada's busiest hospital HBOT programmes. Used for overflow or specialised consultation.

Hamilton General Hospital

Hamilton, ON · 5.5 hours west

OHIP-covered with CritiCall Ontario routing.

Is your facility listed here?

Canada Hyperbarics offers enhanced facility listings at no cost, including photos, detailed service descriptions, accepted conditions, wait time estimates, and direct booking links.

Enhanced placement is available to facilities that feature canadahyperbarics.ca as a patient education resource. This helps patients find your facility and understand what HBOT is before they call.

Request enhanced listing

Frequently Asked Questions, HBOT in Ottawa

Questions below are drawn from what people actually search for about HBOT in Ottawa.

Is there HBOT in Ottawa covered by OHIP?

Yes. The Ottawa Hospital operates the OHIP-covered HBOT programme in Ottawa, fully covered for all 14 recognised conditions with a physician referral. Ottawa also has Terapia, a private self-pay clinic on Baseline Road for patients seeking broader indications or shorter wait times.

How much does hyperbaric oxygen therapy cost in Ottawa?

At The Ottawa Hospital, HBOT is OHIP-covered at no out-of-pocket cost with a physician referral. At Terapia, private sessions cost approximately $200 to $300 each. A typical course of 40 sessions at Terapia runs $8,000–$12,000.

Can patients from Quebec use The Ottawa Hospital for HBOT?

Yes. Patients from western Quebec, particularly Gatineau and the Outaouais region, are regularly referred to The Ottawa Hospital. RAMQ does not cover out-of-province OHIP rates, so costs and billing arrangements should be confirmed with The Ottawa Hospital billing department before treatment begins.

How do I get a referral to The Ottawa Hospital hyperbaric unit?

Ask your family physician, oncologist, or specialist to contact The Ottawa Hospital Hyperbaric Medicine Unit directly at 613-737-8966. Urgent cases like carbon monoxide poisoning or diving accidents proceed as emergencies through the emergency department without requiring prior referral.

How long does an HBOT session last?

A standard session at The Ottawa Hospital lasts 90 to 120 minutes, including compression to 2.0–2.4 ATA, treatment breathing 100% oxygen, and decompression. Most clinical protocols call for 20 to 40 daily sessions, 5 days per week; some radiation indications may require up to 60 sessions.

Can I buy or rent a hyperbaric chamber at home?

Portable soft-sided chambers are sold and rented but operate at only 1.3 ATA with ambient air, not the 2.0+ ATA with 100% oxygen used in clinical HBOT. Health Canada does not license soft chambers for the 14 recognised medical indications. For any clinically indicated condition, treatment at The Ottawa Hospital or Terapia is the evidence-based option.

Are Nunavut patients covered for HBOT in Ottawa?

Yes. Nunavut does not have its own HBOT facility, and the Government of Nunavut Medical Travel programme routes patients requiring hyperbaric care to The Ottawa Hospital. Travel, accommodation, and treatment are coordinated through the territorial health system.

Is HBOT offered for chronic concussion or brain injury in Ottawa?

Chronic post-concussion syndrome and traumatic brain injury are not on Ontario's 14 OHIP-covered indications. The Ottawa Hospital treats only the approved list. Terapia offers HBOT for off-label conditions on a self-pay basis. Research evidence on HBOT for chronic TBI is mixed, consult both your treating neurologist and a hyperbaric physician before committing to a private treatment course.

What to expect at your first HBOT appointment

  1. 1

    Pre-screening and consultation

    A hyperbaric medicine physician reviews your referral and medical history. You may need a chest X-ray or ENT assessment to rule out pneumothorax or inability to equalize middle-ear pressure.

  2. 2

    Compression (10 to 15 minutes)

    Chamber pressure increases gradually to 2.0 to 2.4 ATA. Ear pressure sensation is normal; you equalize the same way you would on a plane (swallow, yawn, or a Valsalva manoeuvre).

  3. 3

    Treatment at depth (60 to 90 minutes)

    You breathe 100% oxygen through a mask or hood. Many patients doze, read, or watch TV. Air breaks every 20 to 30 minutes may be scheduled depending on the protocol.

  4. 4

    Decompression (10 to 15 minutes)

    Chamber pressure returns to surface. You may feel mild tiredness or temporary near-sightedness that typically resolves within hours to days after treatment course ends.

  5. 5

    Course length

    Most indications require 20 to 60 daily sessions. Plan for a weekday schedule spanning 4 to 12 weeks. You can typically drive yourself home after each session.

Private insurance and HBOT in Ontario

Most Canadian extended-health insurance plans (Sun Life, Manulife, Green Shield, Canada Life) do not list hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a named covered service. Coverage sometimes applies when HBOT is billed as part of physician-supervised wound care, radiation oncology follow-up, or chronic pain management. Contact your plan administrator directly with the clinical indication and CPT or billing code your provider will use, and request a written pre-authorization before committing to a treatment course.

Travelling to Ottawa for HBOT

Many HBOT patients travel for treatment because hospital programmes are concentrated in a handful of Canadian cities. For a typical 20 to 40 session course, plan for four to twelve weeks of near-daily attendance at the facility.

Medical travel programmes may cover mileage, transit, or accommodation for patients travelling long distances within their home province or interprovincially:

  • Ontario: Northern Health Travel Grant for Northern Ontario residents
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: Medical Transportation Assistance Program (MTAP)
  • Nunavut: Government of Nunavut Medical Travel
  • Northwest Territories and Yukon: territorial medical travel assistance programmes
  • Veterans Affairs Canada may cover travel for service-related conditions

Accommodation: ask the treating hospital about on-site patient guesthouses or negotiated rates with nearby hotels. Many cancer centres maintain Hope Lodges or equivalent patient-family residences at reduced cost.

Interprovincial reciprocal billing generally covers medically necessary hospital-based HBOT for Canadians away from their home province. Confirm coverage details with your provincial plan before travelling.

HBOT in other Ontario cities

Explore facility directories for other Ontario cities covered by Canada Hyperbarics.

Toronto 5 Hamilton 1 Mississauga 3 Oakville 1 Sudbury 1 Thunder Bay 1 Brampton 1 Barrie 2 Tobermory 1

About this page

This page is maintained by the Canada Hyperbarics Research Team, an independent, institutionally-authored resource for evidence-based hyperbaric oxygen therapy information in Canada. We do not accept paid placements, sponsorship, or advertising from any facility listed on this site.

Primary sources used in this page include Health Canada's Medical Device Active Licence Listing (MDALL), CUHMA Standards of Practice Guidelines, the UHMS Indications for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (15th Edition, 2024), provincial health authority publications, and peer-reviewed clinical literature indexed on PubMed.

AI-assist disclosure: content on this page is drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the Canada Hyperbarics Research Team before publication, per our editorial policy. No individual author is credited; the institution is the author of record.

Last reviewed: Last updated: Submit a correction Full editorial policy
All Canadian facilities | Ontario HBOT guide | National coverage guide | Conditions treated | Research database