Missed Medical Appt & Dr's Threat

[KJG]

How stupid of the doctor!

If you didn't sign a contract, you don't owe them a dime. They can't charge for a cancellation fee unless you have agreed to it in writing. Anything else is just BS and you needn't worry about it.

Send them $50 of monopoly money...scammers suck.

FS

Actually FS it is all the rage in Canada now if you don't give 24 hours cancellation to your doctor/dentist they will charge you a cancellation fee. Standard practice. If I have to cancel the morning of....I usually phone and give the old...I have flu and am vomiting...etc but I can come in if you want and I g et the answer....oh no that is alright we don't want to infect anyone else we can re-schedule!!!! Works everytime.....

 

[Fencesitter]

If there is no signed contract, they have no legal standing to demand any kind of fee, regardless of what their 'rules' are...I wouldn't pay it...

It's not like it's a hotel or something...and where do they get off trying to charge fees for lateness? It makes no sense. What about OHIP? If you are covered, would they still try to charge a late fee? Ridiculous.

I'm all about contracts...if there is no contract, there is no legal means for anyone to make demands for payment...

FS

 

[KJG]

If there is no signed contract, they have no legal standing to demand any kind of fee, regardless of what their 'rules' are...I wouldn't pay it...

It's not like it's a hotel or something...and where do they get off trying to charge fees for lateness? It makes no sense. What about OHIP? If you are covered, would they still try to charge a late fee? Ridiculous.

I'm all about contracts...if there is no contract, there is no legal means for anyone to make demands for payment...

FS

I guess the problem is, is that there is a shortage of doctors in Canada right now and if you have a family physician you don't want them to drop you because then you are stuck going to emerg all the time......so all doctors/dentists have posted in their waiting rooms about the cancellation fee.......whether they use it as a scare tactic or what who knows but it is a common practice....if you don't cancel your appt and are a no-show and don't call them and they send you a bill and you refuse to pay the next time you want an appt. I guarantee you won't be able to see them for weeks....OHIP will not cover missed appointments as it is not a billable service for the doctors.....unfortunately due to the shortage of doctors things like this are happening.....as with most things...the few create problems for the many......

 

[Sunshine87]

How much info did you have to give when making an appointment to the DMP? If it's just your name and phone number, is that even enough info to be sent to collections with??

 

[parker24]

If there is no signed contract, they have no legal standing to demand any kind of fee, regardless of what their 'rules' are...I wouldn't pay it...

It's not like it's a hotel or something...and where do they get off trying to charge fees for lateness? It makes no sense. What about OHIP? If you are covered, would they still try to charge a late fee? Ridiculous.

I'm all about contracts...if there is no contract, there is no legal means for anyone to make demands for payment...

FS

Take note FS, this is a non-Canadian resident, so OHIP has no bearing whatsoever. There's a legal contract, verbal one. While most places do not charge you for a late fee (from my experience) DMP's WILL since non-residents are NOT covered under Canadian Health Plan. Sad, but truth. My doc does not charge for any such thing, most of his patients are low-income. When I discussed with him about my husband being added onto his patient charts, he said sure! Would love another immigrant (He was being sincere, he's from South Africa) and my husband pipes up "Would you charge me for cancellations...?" "Uhh no? I don't do that. I'm not a CIC officer" It made me smile and realize how lucky I was!

In any case, I can understand, since DMP is pretty much like a specialist. If you cancelled with a OBGYN or a Internal Medicine doctor, you would be required to pay a fee. Sucks but with the lovely cuts Harper Government is doing, its the only way doctors can even make money.

OP, I would just pay the 50 dollars and never set a foot in their office again!

 

[biometrix]

I tell people that the system in their home country may not apply here. Verbal agreement over a phone call consistitute a legal contract. You don't always have to sign stuff. It applies to lease, medical appointment and even buying and selling items. Anyways I think the lesson here is be careful whatever you agree to verbally for in a claims court, that's serves as a contract and in Canada the law is taken seriously. your name and your phone number is all they need and it's sufficient to track you. They can go ahead and track your associates if it warrants. It's called technology. Remember all the info you use to get the phone service is stored. That's the info collection agencies work with. Avoid the spot light, pay the fee and keep your head down.

 

[Steph C]

Um.. I wouldn't pay it either. But I would call them up and feed them a good story to get them to waive the charge :

 

[Fencesitter]

Verbal contracts are weak. It's their word against yours...

In any event, if it's a simple matter of calling to cancel, then it doesn't seem like a big deal.

Still, I would never pay a late charge for something like this, especially if there is no written agreement.

FS

 

[Creampop]

I'm in Ontario K-W area and we just switched doctors, our last doctor and our new one had signs posted in the offices saying if not cancelled within 24 hrs you would be charged for it... it has nothing to do with OHIP at all you don't show up you get charged its that simple my husbands dentist is the same way as well as his hearing doctor you pay or you don't get seen. I being American pay for my doctor visits out of pocket and it's only 32 bucks to see the doctor the not showing fee is 50 it is crazy but it's posted it's their regulations and if you want a doctor you have to accept their regulations even if they do suck... but I sure as heck would rather have a doctor instead of going to emergency clinic that charges me 100 bucks a visit... and I never see the same doctor...

 

[Tullysgirl]

How much info did you have to give when making an appointment to the DMP? If it's just your name and phone number, is that even enough info to be sent to collections with??

All they have is my name, phone and address and a threat that they will be notifying CIC.

The appt was made over the phone so, I did not set foot in their office so I had no notice of any cancellation fee, nor was it explained to me. I have yet to hear back from the office, so I'm thinking they don't care, they will send it on anyways.

I typically keep my head low. I don't like to make waves, unless it's a situation like this where there seems to be an unjustified and unfair action against me, especially when I did try in good faith to give a 72 hr notice.

And come to think about it, I may call them again today and explain how ridiculous their policy is for those with Monday or Tuesday appts, beings their answering center won't take cancellations or messages of the sort over the weekend AND that I will be informing CIC of such.

So, I DID try to cancell well in advance AND I called them to discuss the matter with no response. I think CIC would like to know this.

I still don't know if I'm paying the fee or not.

 

[user828]

Threaten the doctor that you will write to CIC about his threatening comment

Post comments on his behavior here

http://www.ratemymd.ca/