practice partner
Patients must not be required to pay a
block fee prior to accessing insured care
to the patients’ charts. Patients must also be provided
the opportunity to rescind their decision within a week
of their original decision. Patient decisions regarding
whether to pay for uninsured services individually or
through a block fee, must not affect their ability to access care. In particular, patients must not be required to
pay a block fee prior to accessing insured care, patients
cannot be terminated or refused acceptance into a
practice because they decide not to pay a block fee, and
patients cannot be offered or given preferential access to
care because they agree to pay a block fee.
The College has received copies of letters to patients
regarding block fees encouraging them to sign up for
reasons other than for the payment of uninsured services. These letters typically inform patients that their participation in the block fee program will help the clinic/
physician provide better quality care to patients or assist
in purchasing new office equipment. Requesting that
patients pay a block fee for the above noted reasons is
prohibited by regulation and conflicts with the spirit of
the policy. Block fees are not intended to supplement
physicians’ incomes, but to provide patients with a
choice of paying for a group of uninsured services they
might use over a predetermined time period.
The College’s policy Block Fees and Uninsured Services is currently under review, and your comments and
feedback on the policy would be most welcome. You
can email your comments to [email protected] or
check our website for the most up to date information
on the policy review.
If you have any questions regarding block fees, uninsured services, or any other practice related matter,
please contact the Physician Advisory Service at 1-800268-7096 extension 603. Our Advisors are available
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will be happy to help
you.
54
The Questions
You Ask
1 How do I inform patients of the
charges for uninsured services?
- Physicians must make a list of fees available to
the patient, regardless of whether the fee will be
paid on an individual per service basis or in the
context of a block fee. As such, physicians may
wish to provide this list when the patient joins
the practice and/or by posting this list in their
office.
2 May I charge a fee when a patient
joins my practice to cover the associated
administrative costs?
- No. The costs associated with accepting a new
patient into your practice are considered constituent elements of an OHIP insured service, and
therefore cannot be charged to the patient.
3 What do I do if