clinic
policies
Our clinic policies are designed to protect the interests of our patients as well as our staff.
Please ensure you have a look at all of our policies prior to your first visit. We want you to have all of the information so there are no surprises down the road!
Medical emergencies
Patients with serious medical emergencies should go to the nearest Emergency Department.
NO SHOW, LATENESS, & CANCELLATION POLICY
Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the practitioner's day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we require at least 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to follow up appointments and 48 hours notice for new patient appointments.
Patients who provide less than 24 or 48 hours notice, or miss their appointment, will be charged a cancellation fee (50% of scheduled visit cost) or the full cost of the visit missed. In order to keep our practice sustainable, Kootenay Chiropractic and Sports Performance strictly enforces a fee for any late, missed, or cancelled appointments in order to provide quality time with patients and timely services.
Please note that if you book an appointment within the 24-hour or 48-hour time frame, the policy is in effect immediately.
All appointments will end at the scheduled time so that our practitioners may serve the next patient at their scheduled start time, therefore if you arrive late, your appointment will either be cut short or be rescheduled.
Due to the high volume and demand for our services, late comers may be required to re-schedule for a later time or another day and appropriate charges for the late or missed appointments will apply.
PAYMENT POLICY
At Kootenay Chiropractic and Sports Performance, we require all patients have a credit or VISA-Debit card on file as a convenient method of payment for services rendered or for or the portion of services that your extended health insurance does not cover, but for which you are liable.
Without this authorization, a billing fee of $5.00 will be added to your account for any outstanding balances that we must attempt to collect through mailing monthly statements. Furthermore, an “outstanding balance” charge of 1.5 percent of the amount will be charged for each month that the account remains unpaid.
Payment is due at the time of service for follow up appointments and any cancellation or missed visit fees incurred are the responsibility of the patient. A 50% deposit of the total cost of new patient visits is due upon booking and is non-refundable if appointment is cancelled less than 48 hours prior to the appointment. The patient is responsible for timely payment of their account. We accept cash, VISA, MasterCard, VISA-Debit, and Contactless Debit.
THIRD PARTY INSURANCE COVERAGE
& DIRECT BILLING POLICY
Kootenay Chiropractic and Sports Performance is not required to direct bill to a third party insurance company on the patient’s behalf, this is a convenience our clinic offers to our clients at our discretion. In relationship to the Privacy Act and extended health benefits, we are not able to access details for all benefit plans and some insurance companies will not directly reimburse a paramedical office. In the event that direct billing is performed on our behalf and your insurance coverage has been verified, any and all co-pays will be due at the time of service. If any third party should deny payment, the full cost of the treatment provided will be passed on to the patient. As such, payment is due at the time of service.
CLINIC & PERSONAL communication policy
It is important for Dr. Bryant to remain in contact with her patients and support them throughout their care. In certain circumstances, Dr. Bryant may request that a patient check in with her via the clinic's e-mail. When Dr. Bryant specifically requests a check-in, there is no additional fee for that communication.
Please note that practitioners cannot provide a consultation or diagnosis by e-mail or over the phone. E-mail and phone communication are not intended to replace a consultation. E-mail communication that involves personal health questions and requires clinical assessment, advice, or recommendations from Dr. Bryant is considered a consultation and is subject to a $50 consultation fee, unless otherwise requested by or discussed with Dr. Bryant.
Please be advised that any communication between you and your healthcare provider, including e-mail messages, becomes part of your medical record. Patients are advised to take advantage of our advanced access scheduling system to book the next available appointment when a consultation or clinical assessment is required.
All clinic related communication must take place through the clinic's official communication channels. This includes clinic e-mail, clinic phone, and the online booking system. Patients must not contact Dr. Bryant through her personal phone number, personal e-mail address, text message, social media, or any other personal communication channel for any reason related to their care or appointments. This applies even if Dr. Bryant is connected with or follows a patient on a personal social media account.
Personal communication channels are not appropriate for asking medical questions, requesting clinical advice, discussing changes in your condition, requesting treatment recommendations, or requesting, changing, or cancelling appointments. All such communication must be directed through the appropriate clinic channels or addressed during a scheduled appointment.
Dr. Bryant's personal contact information is not to be used for patient communication. When patient health information is sent to a personal device or account, it creates privacy and confidentiality risks and places Dr. Bryant at risk of being unable to meet her legal, regulatory, and professional obligations regarding the protection of personal health information.
Messages received through personal communication channels will not be addressed through those channels and will not receive a response. Repeated attempts to contact Dr. Bryant through her personal devices or accounts, particularly after being directed to use the appropriate clinic channels, may result in termination of the patient-provider relationship and referral to another healthcare provider.
In the event of a new condition, including an accident, fall, injury, illness, new diagnosis, or visit to the emergency room or urgent care, patients are required to schedule a re-assessment before they can be treated. This is a professional standard of care requirement, not a preference. A re-assessment allows adequate time to evaluate the new concern, determine whether treatment is appropriate, and make appropriate clinical decisions regarding your ongoing care.
A subsequent visit is not a substitute for a re-assessment. Attempting to fit a new or complex problem into a follow-up appointment means there may not be sufficient time to properly assess and treat the new concern. It can also impact the appointments scheduled after yours.
If you are unsure which appointment type is appropriate, please contact the clinic before booking and we can help determine the appropriate appointment.
Please be aware that there is a fee associated with a re-assessment in addition to the cost of any treatment provided.
This policy exists to protect you, your care, and my ability to make appropriate clinical decisions.
cell phone policy
Cell phones are to be on silent while in the clinic and conversations limited to the reception area, or outside of the clinic, for the consideration of other patients and practitioners.
Thank you for your understanding & cooperation.
