Pubdate: Tue, 08 Apr 2014
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2014 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Michael Mui
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

DOCTOR'S FEES THE REAL 'HIGH' IN MEDICAL POT

Medical marijuana clinics say so-called legal pot prescription fees 
could one day be covered by insurance, but for now someone has to pay 
the bill for lengthy patient examinations not covered by government

Medical marijuana users are scoffing at pricey fees doctors are 
charging to get a signature for legal pot - hundreds of dollars per 
patient that the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C. says is 
"going through the roof."

Fred Green, a 77- year-old man who visits marijuana dispensaries to 
treat his stage-four lung cancer, says paying $300 to $500 per pot 
prescription makes it financially difficult.

"If you go into a doctor, and say you have some moles in the back and 
you need to take them off, normally they charge you 50 bucks," he said.

"I don't want to pay $ 450 if I don't have to just for a doctor's 
signature ... most people can't afford that kind of money."

Dr. Heidi Oetter, registrar of the CPSBC, said she's now heard of 
additional fees - typically about $70 - charged by licensed marijuana 
producers for verifying the notes are genuine.

"The fee part of it seems to be going through the roof," she said.

"It's like a patient asking a doctor to fill out a form, and the 
physician basically being allowed to charge for that form because 
it's not an insured service."

According to Health Canada, the "medical document" for legal pot is 
not an insured prescription and that means fees can be charged. Fonda 
Betts, CEO of Greenleaf Medical Clinic in Abbotsford said her clinic 
charges $ 278.50 for a walkin patient.

However, there are payment plans offered for those with low incomes - 
and sometimes the entire fee is waived. She said a gamut of services, 
including how to choose a suitable bud, are also provided.

"We give them a receipt, we let them know they can write it off as a 
medical expense on their taxes," Betts said.

Medical Cannabis Resource Centre founder Terry Roycroft said general 
physicians are only paid $38 to $58, typically, by the government to 
see a patient.

But that assumes a patient is only stopping by for five minutes, he 
said - not the 40-plus minutes it could take to examine a single 
medical pot patient.

"Unfortunately, doctors aren't free, rent isn't free and staff isn't 
free," Roycroft said of the $300 he charges.

[sidebar]

Greenleaf Medical Clinic cost breakdown:

$50 - patient medical record fee

$150 - clinic fee for four medical office assistants

$100 - doctor's fee

$20 - courier's fee for mailing application

$150 - for each subsequent visit
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom