Visits and Procedures
Most visits and procedures are covered by the BC Medical Services Plan provided you have an active healthcare number in BC or another Canadian Province (except Quebec). If you have Quebec insurance please discuss this with us before booking an appointment. Pursuant to the BC Ministry of Health, we do not charge fees for standard materials, processing costs, x-rays, rooms, sterilization etc. We do not accept private pay for faster access.
Procedure with Fees
A few procedures that are covered by the BC Medical Services Plan including RFN and cryoneurotomy have small fees attached. These fees cover the cost of specialized medications and material upgrades. The costs will be discussed with you before booking these appointments. If cost is a concern please discuss this with the physician before booking. We may be able to reduce or waive charges for compassionate reasons on a case-by-case basis.
Procedures that are not Covered
Prolotherapy, platelet-rich plasma injections and Botox-A injections are not covered by the BC MSP. The costs will be discussed with you before booking such procedures. We cannot provide estimates over the phone because the fees are based on the complexity of the procedure and the amount of PRP required. Most third-party insurers, Canadian Forces, Veterans Affairs and WorkSafe BC will not cover these costs. ICBC may cover these fees on a pre-approval basis. You will be given a receipt that can be used for income tax purposes or to submit to your third-party insurer. If you are involved in litigation your lawyer may advance you the cost of these procedures but this must be pre-approved by your lawyer.
Late Cancellations/No Show
Please note you will be charged a fee for a late cancellation (under 24-hours) or missed appointments based on the appointment length and type. These fees will range from $50-200. There are many people waiting for these appointments and we will not have sufficient time to fit another patient into the doctors/clinicians schedule under these circumstances.
Medication Costs
Medication costs are not covered by the BC Medical Services Plan. There is a modest medication fee of $10- $40 payable at injection appointments for standard medications such as local anesthetic and cortisone. Our fees were chosen to take into account those under financial hardship. Please discuss with the physician if you have financial constraints.
If you prefer, you can bring in the medications yourself. To do this, ask the physician for a prescription that can be filled at any pharmacy in Canada and then pick up and bring in the medications yourself. Some pharmacies may not stock the medications or may require a few days to obtain stock. Please ensure that the prescription is filled a few days in advance of your appointment.
Forms
The BC Medical Services Plan does not pay physicians for the time required to complete forms or for appointments set up specifically to discuss or complete paperwork. Please discuss the fees with your physician before booking an appointment for these purposes or at the time that you bring the forms for completion.
Individualized Exercise Counselling
The BC Medical Services Play does not pay physicians for the time required for ‘lifestyle behavioural’ counselling including exercises. We strongly believe that exercises are vital to long-term pain reduction and give generalized exercises to patients routinely. We often recommend referral to a kinesiologist or exercise therapist for individualized and supervised exercise programs. There is also a physiotherapist in clinic.