CANCELLATION AND NO SHOW POLICY

We have instituted a no-show policy to avoid missing appointments and, hence, unnecessary prolongation of our waitlist. Many patients are waiting weeks or months for an appointment due to the large number of referrals received.

If you are booked for an office consultation or a procedure at RIH and do not with to proceed, you can cancel it when you receive the reminder text message, email, or phone call. Alternatively, you can call your gastroenterologist’s office (Contact Information) as soon as possible. 

A minimum of 48 hours notice is required for cancellations.  Unless it is a reasonable emergency, patients who fail to attend a scheduled appointment will be charged a fee to have it rebooked, in accordance with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia‘s practice standard:

“Charging for Missed or Cancelled Appointments: It is acceptable to bill patients privately for missed appointments provided the patient has been forewarned of the registrant’s policy in this regard, and the registrant exercises judgment and compassion in submitting such an account. Registrants who intend to charge patients in these circumstances must have a system in place to facilitate the cancellation process.”

No-show/late cancellation fees:

Follow up (15 minutes): $25 + GST
Office consultation (30 minutes): $50 + GST
Hospital procedure: $100 + GST

If you did not attend your scheduled appointment, the Kamloops GI group will allow you to call and reschedule one additional appointment, however your position on the waitlist will not be guaranteed.  The responsibility lies with you to call and reschedule the appointment, as you will not be contacted by our office if you miss your appointment.  If you fail to attend the 2nd rescheduled appointment, please note that you will not be rescheduled with any of our gastroenterologists and will need to seek a referral elsewhere instead.

UNINSURED SERVICE FEES 

Fees are charged in accordance with the Doctors of BC guidelines. The following services are not recognized as “medically required service” and is not covered by the Medical Services Plan.

Rates effective as of April 1, 2024.

Brief letter/note – $50.00 + GST

Chart transfer fee – $43.25 basic fee + $122.00 physician record review fee + $2.20 faxing fee for first 10 pages ($0.30 per subsequent page) + GST

Completion of Disability Tax Credit form – $135 + GST

Completion of Drug Benefit Form for third party insurer – $91.40 + GST

Completion of Short-Term Disability Form – $75 + GST