Pubdate: Wed, 09 Apr 2014
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Page: A4
Copyright: 2014 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Tiffany Crawford

HEALTH ADVOCATES FRET OVER FEES THAT CAN COST AS MUCH AS
$400

Marijuana is considered a legal medicine used primarily for pain
relief, but a trip to the doctor for authorization to use it isn't
covered by insurance - and can cost up to $400.

Some patients are concerned about the fees doctors are charging to
fill out the paperwork under the federal government's new Marijuana
for Medical Purposes Regulation laws, which came into effect April
1.

Fees for uninsured medical services in the province are set by
individual doctors, but there are B. C. Medical Association
guidelines, with a suggested range for various services.

However, since the new medical pot laws only took effect last week,
there is not yet a fee structure for completing medical marijuana
forms, which can range from free to up to $400, according to Isaac
Oommen, a spokesman for the Compassion Club of B. C. He said some
clients have paid $250, while many others have been charged around
$80.

While $400 is in the higher range, such fees aren't out of line with
other uninsured services, according to BCMA guidelines. For example,
the guideline for a physical fitness exam for school or summer camp is
$68.40, while a general insurance exam is nearly $200. The suggested
fee for a medical legal letter for a patient is $331.

Health Canada has no plans to set the fees because services provided
by doctors and other health professionals are provincially regulated.

Ryan Jabs, a spokesman for B. C.' s Ministry of Health, said that
documentation for medicinal marijuana is not funded through MSP
because the province does not subsidize medicinal marijuana or
reimburse physicians for prescribing it.

He provided no reason for why B. C. won't reimburse physicians for
prescribing pot.

Advocates say patients requiring medicine for pain resulting from
cancer or arthritis should not have to pay to get a "prescription" for
pot.

"If you go in and say, ' Doctor, I have MS or Parkinson's' that visit
should be covered by socialized medicine," said Bill Chaaban, CEO of
Michigan-based Creative Edge Nutrition. "Doctors are not supposed to
charge for the visit or prescription."

Oommen also said that some of the Compassion Club's clients have
expressed concerns that fees are too high. He blamed the new laws,
saying there is now more paperwork required by Health Canada. Also,
under the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations, authorization to
use medical cannabis must be renewed every year.

He said the club, which continues to operate in a grey area of the
law, doesn't require doctors to put a time limit on how long a patient
can use medical pot.

Under the new law, patients must buy their weed directly from a small
number of licensed commercial growers. The law doesn't allow growers
to sell anything other than dried marijuana, even though many patients
want weed extracts, tinctures and oils.

Susan Prins, a spokeswoman for the College of Physicians and Surgeons,
said physicians who charge fees for non-insured services, such as
completing medical marijuana forms, should be guided by the ethical
principles contained in the Canadian Medical Association's Code of
Ethics.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D