[溫哥華本地新聞] Illegal billing identified at private Vancouver clinics 200, identified, charging, billing, private

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Illegal billing identified at private Vancouver clinics

Audit uncovers more than 200 cases of privately charging for publicly funded procedures



Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Illegal+billing+identified+private+Vancouver+clinics/6953468/story.html#ixzz214yxxsrf
VICTORIA — Two high profile and closely linked private Vancouver medical clinics have been illegally charging patients for treatment, says an audit released Wednesday that is certain to reinvigorate the debate over private health care in B.C.
The province’s Medical Services Commission said it found more than 200 cases of so-called extra billing at Cambie Surgeries Corp. and at the Specialist Referral Clinic, both private clinics founded by controversial Vancouver doctor Brian Day.
“The audit found evidence patients are being billed for publicly insured medical services, which is a contravention of sections 17 and 18 of the [B.C.] Medicare Protection Act,” said Tom Vincent, chairman of the Medical Services Commission.
“If the practice of extra billing does not stop within 30 days the commission will seek a court-ordered injunction.”
The findings bring to a head lingering questions over Day’s clinics, which for years have been openly charging patients for private care.
On Wednesday, Day said he will continue to operate — and bill — as normal, and that he will ardently fight any attempted injunction. However he said he will respect any court-ordered injunction.
“We will be before the court showing the reason why such an injunction would be inadvisable because it would make patients suffer,” he said.
Day is already part of a B.C. Supreme Court case challenging the Medicare Protection Act, and seeking the provisions preventing patients from paying for surgery to be declared unconstitutional.
He said that in the days to come he expects some patients to join that suit.
A similar case in Quebec led to such a finding by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2005, which Day pointed to as precedent.
“There is nothing immoral, illegal and unethical about a citizen in a free and democratic society spending their own funds to extricate themselves from pain and suffering,” said Day.
“Should a B.C. resident suffering, and sometimes, dying on a waiting list have the same constitutional rights to extricate themselves from the waiting list that the Supreme Court of Canada granted to residents of Quebec?”
Day added that if there was an injunction, his clinics would be barred from treating B.C. patients, but would still be able to treat people from outside the province not covered by MSP.
“We’d be faced with a ludicrous situation that an Albertan coming to B.C. has more privileges and rights than a B.C. resident does,” he said.
An official with the Ministry of Health said in the event of an injunction, the clinic would also still be able to treat B.C. residents involved in a workplace injury whose care is being funded by WorkSafeBC.
WorkSafeBC uses private clinics such as Day’s in an attempt to speed up returns to work.
“The longer an injured worker is off work, the less likely they are to return,” said WorkSafeBC spokeswoman Donna Freeman.

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“So access to medical care and healing is extremely important.”

Health Minister Mike de Jong was careful with his comments, making clear the audit was not a reflection on all private clinics.

“In instances where a clinic is providing medical treatment in areas covered by the Medical Services Plan, that in and of itself does not violate the act, but charging for those services privately in B.C. does,” he said.

“The expectation is that services will be provided in a way that is consistent with the Medicare Protection Act and other applicable legislation,” he continued.

“That doesn’t preclude health authorities — the Ministry of Health — from partnering with private care givers or private clinics. That will continue.”

Released Wednesday, the audit found extra billing had occurred at both of Day’s clinics “on a frequent and regular basis, contrary to the Act.”

In a review of 468 cases between December 2010 and January 2011, it found more than 200 cases involving extra billing totalling about $490,000.

Vincent added the Medical Services Commission found hints of possible double billing — where a patent and another entity are charged for the exact same service — but said it will take more work to determine if this took place.

“The audit found that there appears to be some potential for there to have been what we are referring to as double billing, but there isn’t sufficient evidence to proceed on that basis. The materials necessary to show that or demonstrate that weren’t made available to the auditors during the audit,” he said.

“I’m very unwilling and unable to say there is double billing going on at these clinics,” he continued.

“We will find that out.”

Vincent said there will be no penalties levelled against the clinics for the extra billing discovered in the audit, adding the commission’s only focus is to bring the behaviour to an end.

New Democratic Party health critic Mike Farnworth called the audit results a “condemnation of the government’s approach” to private clinics in B.C.

“I think it reflects on their ‘don’t ask don’t tell, sweep it under the carpet’ approach,” he said, deriding government inaction on the issue.

“The result has been that for six years now the violations have been taking place.”

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The Medical Services Commission will seek a court-ordered injunction if the Cambie Surgery Centre does not stop billing for publicly-insured medical services, it announced Wednesday.

fibbi

Support private clinic....

satil

Support private clinic....
fibbi 發表於 2012-7-19 07:37

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peter236

Healthcare in Canada is socialized, unlike in the US where many cannot afford medicare.