Q: Are your services covered by MSP?
A: No, they are not. Our clinic focuses on preventative medicine and we spend a lot of time educating and providing you with personal nutritional and multidisciplinary strategies that you will use every day to maximize your midlife health and enjoyment. For this reason our Annual Midlife Health Plan, which exists beyond the boundaries of MSP, has been created.
Q: Why opt out of MSP?
A: Our physicians have made a decision to focus their careers in the field of midlife health. The MSP model works on the presumption of illness and is structured to fit that premise. For 5 years, the clinic tried to work within the confines of MSP. After that period the physicians faced the prospect of making a very difficult decision. Continue the course with MSP and face the real risk having to close the clinic or to make the transition to offering their services as a private clinic.
Q: Do I need a referral from my family doctor to attend your clinic?
A: No, you do not. We are a private clinic and therefore, you do not require a referral. You may contact us directly to arrange your Initial Consult.
Q: What is included in my Annual Health Plan?
A: Please refer to our Clinic Fees and Services section.
Q: Do you take new patients for family practice?
A: No, we do not. We are not a primary care facility but we do encourage you to inform your family physician of your care here at WWC. All general health issues should be addressed by your family physician. We are a specialty clinic focusing on hormones and midlife health. To make the most out of your appointments with your physician here at WWC, we recommend you see your family physician for things such as cuts and colds, broken bones and bruises, and disability/unemployment forms and ongoing care of your other medical concerns.
Q: Do you recommend any family physicians who are taking new patients?
A: If you are seeking a family physician, we recommend you contact the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. They keep a database of GP's in B.C. who are accepting new patients. They can be contacted at 604-733-7758 and their website is www.cpsbc.ca.
Q: Do you work with Naturopaths?
A: We can work together with your naturopath as our holistic and multidiscipline approach to medicine can be quite similar.
Q: Are your services covered by my extended health plan?
A: We do not accept insurance assignments on your extended medical benefits. Your insurance company may reimburse you directly whatever they determine reasonable as per their own guideline for claims. You are strongly advised to contact your insurance carrier directly as the WWC does not make any guarantee that your extended benefits will cover this preventative health service. You can ask for key phrases such as "physician-based risk assessments", "wellness coverage", "alternative therapies" similar to a naturopath or herbalist.
Q: What types of testing does your clinic offer?
A: Our physicians believe that the 24 hour comprehensive urine analysis provides the most complete hormone panel available today. In addition to providing a complete hormonal read, this test provides an analysis of adrenal and thyroid functions.
The lab we currently us is Meridian Valley Lab (www.meridianvalleylab.com) in Washington state which has been providing leading edge testing for nearly three decades. This type of testing is not fully available in Canada as there are a few labs that are doing small parts of this type of testing. However, these are not covered by MSP and are not well established.
Additional blood work (billed to MSP) may be ordered by your physician if it is medically necessary. Saliva testing (optional) may be ordered through our medical herbalist, Bev Maya, at an additional cost.
Q: Why a 24-hour urine test and not blood or saliva?
A: Hormones are released in our bodies in a pulsed 24-hour cycle (biological rhythm) so an analysis over the entire 24-hour period is a lot more informative over a single blood sample (which is a fixed point within the 24-hour cycle). Hormones do not float around in the blood freely - they are bound to proteins within the blood which makes them difficult to assess. Saliva is not useful to evaluate the metabolism of hormones and for measuring thyroid levels. Urine tests provide us with the opportunity to have a look at liver function which is extremely important in establishing the breakdown of pathways for your hormones.
Q: I live out of town! Can I still be a patient at WWC?
A: Of course! But your Initial Consult and Meridian Valley results appointment must be booked as in-office appointments. Initial Consults cannot be done over the telephone. Our physicians prefer to meet you face-to-face and get to know you. This is also done for your own medical safety, as your Initial Consult also involves a physical examination. Out-of-town patients have the option of combining their Initial Consult together with their Meridian Valley results appointment into one and continue their communication via telephone appointments every 3 months. For this option, we would ship out a hormone testing kit to your home and your appointment would be booked 2-3 weeks after your sample has been sent to the lab. The deposit for this option is $890.00 + shipping and the balance for your health plan will be due at your first 30 minute follow-up.
Q: How many appointments am I allowed to have throughout the year after I have reviewed my Meridian Valley results?
A: Your Annual Midlife Health Plan is structured in a way that you will have a scheduled 30 minute follow-up every 3 months. At these follow-ups, you and your physician will review your symptoms and management plan and discuss a plan of action which may include nutraceuticals, prescriptions for bioidentical hormones, and additional lab work if medically necessary. Your physician will prescribe enough hormones until your next follow-up, so make sure you book your next follow-up before you run out of your prescriptions. There is a $20 renewal fee by phone or fax.
Remember that this is YOUR time with the physician and they would like to see you every 3 months even if you are feeling fantastic!
If you experience significant symptoms between your 30-minute follow-ups, please contact our staff and a quick 10-minute check-in will be arranged for symptom troubleshooting. Please be respectful of this time as it will only be used for symptom troubleshooting.
If necessary, we may book you in for a quick 10-minute check-in if your physician needs to review any test results with you. These appointments are booked at the doctors discretion. Please be respectful of this time as it is only for review of test results.
Q: Can I book telephone appointments for my follow-ups?
A: Telephone appointments are a courtesy reserved exclusively for our out-of-town patients. It is preferred that all other patients come in to the office for their appointments. Please note that telephone appointments are a non-MSP service.
Q: Can I email my questions or health concerns to my physician?
A: For your medical safety, we ask that patients refrain from communicating medical concerns to our clinic email. It is for general clinic communications only and is not checked on a regular basis. Please call the office if you require medical assistance.
Q: Where do I send my Meridian Valley test?
A: All your shipping instructions are included in the kit. Your sample should be sent directly to Meridian Valley labs by UPS courier. The UPS shipping fee is included with your kit. Unfortunately due to space restrictions, we are unable to hold samples in our office.
Q: What if I have questions about the Meridian Valley test instructions?
A: All your collection instructions are included in your kit. Any inquiries not addressed in your instruction sheet should be forwarded directly to Meridian Valley labs; they are the experts! They may be reached at 1-425-271-8689. Their website is www.meridianvalleylab.com
Q: What happens once my year is up?
A: At the end of your Annual Midlife Health Plan, you will have a "Final Health Plan" appointment. This is where you and your physician will review your care in the past year and help you decide to renew your Annual Midlife Health Plan or repeat your hormone testing. Renewal options are available. Please speak to our MOA or Patient Care Coordinator at this time.
Q: What if I run out of prescriptions?
A: Your physician will provide you with enough prescriptions to last you until your next 30 minute follow-up (usually 3 months supply). In the best interest of patient care, prescriptions cannot be written for more than 3 months. It is important that patients book their follow-ups every 3 months in order to provide our high standard of quality patient care. Should you require a refill before your next follow-up, please have your pharmacy fax your request to 604-738-9605. Please allow approximately 1 week for your request to be filled. Prescription refills by phone or fax are a non-MSP service and a $20.00 fee will be charged.
Q: Are my bio-identical hormone prescriptions included in my health plan?
A: No, they are not. The cost for your prescriptions and supplements is an additional cost and is dependent upon the pharmacy you have them filled at.
Q: How much do the bio-identical hormones cost?
A: It depends. Different compounding pharmacies will charge different prices. The average cost of bio-identicals is about $1/hormone per day. So it will depend on how many bio-identical hormones you will need. When choosing a compounding pharmacy, ensure they are PCCA certified.
Q: Do you have a compounding pharmacy on site?
A: No, we do not. But we can provide our patients with a list of compounding pharmacies in various parts of Metro-Vancouver and in B.C.
West Coast Women's Clinic - Vancouver , BC ( British Columbia ) , Canada - FAQ's
