How to become a patient

Referral by Doctor or Nurse Practitioner

Patients need to have a physician or nurse practitioner send a referral to:
Fax 778.800.2094 or email to Bruno@DrRicArseneau.ca

Our admin staff will reach out to the patient and send them a digital intake package to fill out. This includes consent for virtual care.

Once the patient completes the digital intake package, an initial Telehealth consultation appointment will be booked.

Patients can opt for a Teleheath visit or in person visit (Bowen Island)
Patients who opt for an in person visit must be up to date with COVID and Flu vaccinations

Note:
Patient self-referral is not possible with MSP services

Vaccination

Dr. Arseneau cares about protecting his patients' health

Therefore, Dr. Arseneau is fully vaccinated again COVID, Flu (influenza), and Mpox (monkeypox)

Note:
Patients who opt for an in person visit must be up to date with COVID and Flu vaccinations

Virtual care

Telehealth

Dr. Ric Arseneau is dedicated to providing patients access to quality, real-time healthcare, regardless of where they are located in BC thanks to the assistance of Zoom for Healthcare (or telephone).

Getting Ready for Your First Virtual Visit With Zoom
How to prepare for a virtual health visit using a computer
How to prepare for a virtual health visit using a mobile device

Cancellation policy

Cancelling or missing an appointment

We require 2 business days notice to cancel or change appointments; otherwise, a no-show fee applies:
Consultation no-show fee: $235 + GST
Follow-up no-show fee: $80 + GST
Group Medical or Medication Visit no-show fee: $30 + GST
Group (e.g., Core Group, etc.) no-show fee: $30 + GST

Group Medical Visits
Because Dr. Arseneau provides orientation to group medical visit (confidentiality, how to use Zoom, and rules of engagement),
late patient arrivals are very disruptive as Dr. Arseneau need to repeat the introduction. Therefore, patients who log into Zoom more than one minute after the group has started will not be let into the Zoom Group Visit and a no-show fee will apply.

Missing a group session
Attendance in groups (e.g., Core Group, and Shame and Trauma Group, etc.) cannot be cancelled or rescheduled.
• For groups with 12 sessions or more, you can miss up to 3 sessions without a paying a no- show fee
• For groups with fewer than 12 sessions, a no-show fee applies to all sessions missed

Appointments and scheduling

Scheduling an appointment

We book appointments via email. Contact us at Bruno@DrRicArseneau.ca to book an appointment.

Appointment types

1. Initial consultation visit for every new patient (one-on-one)
• Our current wait-time for new patients is 8+ months
• But, you can participate in any of the clinic activities – except Group Medication Visitis
• That means you can participate in Group Medical Visits, any of our groups, and special lectures

2. Follow-up visits
a) Group Medical Visits: General questions that don't require a prescription

b) Group Medication Visits: Specific to one medication (e.g., low dose naltrexone)
Patient can get a new prescription, increase the dose, or get a refill
For more information of Group Medical Visits

c) One-on-one appointments:
• Patients must attend a Group Medical Visit (GMV) – see above
• Dr. Arseneau or Dr. McKay will then decide if a 1:1 visit is needed

Note:
1. You can only see Dr. Arseneau once on one day (MSP doesn't cover). That means you can NOT have a one-on-one appointment on the same day that you have a group (i.e., Core Group or Shame and Trauma Group) or a Group Medical Visit
2. Patients can opt for a Telehealth visit (Zoom or Phone) or an in person visit on Bowen Island (note: patients must be up to date with COVID and Flu vaccination to be eligible for an in person visit)

Note:
For in person visits, our location is not wheelchair accessible and there is no elevator. Dr. McKay is able to see patients with mobility issues at St. Paul's Hospital.

Fees for non-insured services

Forms and paperwork

Some forms are covered by MSP or insurers. Otherwise, patients are responsible for the cost.

Examples
Covered
• CPP-Disability (Canada Pension Plan - Disability) form
• PWD (Persons With Disabilities) form
• Some, but not all, long-term disability (LTD) and short-term disability (STD) forms
• Note, we only accept electronic versions of forms (e.g., PDF)
• We do note do PWD paper booklets
• We do not do the online version of DTC
NOT Covered
• DTC (Disability Tax Credit) form – $65 + GST
• SPARC BC – $35 + GST
• Appeal letters – $200 + GST
• LTD forms (not covered by insurance provider) – $100+ +GST
• Other notes, letters or forms – $50 to $150 +GST
• Urgent form/letter request – $50 + GST

Note:
• Given the volume of paper that Dr. Arseneau has, our turn-around time for forms/letters is one month.
• We cannot accommodate urgent paperwork. In this case, we ask that you request an extension until the form can be filled otherwise a $50 urgent fee applies.
• Also, some forms require a visit with Dr. Arseneau before the form/letter can be completed. Our current time to get a one-on-one appointment is 3-4 months – we cannot provide urgent appoints. In this case, you can ask to be put on our cancellation list, request an extension, or have another physician complete the form/letter for you.

Medeo

What is Medeo
The Medeo Virtual Portal is a web-based program used by healthcare providers for secure messaging to communicate with patients and share documents securely. It can also be used to allow patients to book their own appointments. Please note the we do not use Medeo for video visits; we use Zoom for Healthcare (see Virtual Visits above.

Why do we use Medeo
Regular email is not secure. Because we care about your privacy, we use Medeo's secure portal for:
• Sending patients' a copy of their consult and follow-up notes (Dr. Arseneau shares all of his notes with his patients – you will receive a copy of everything your referring physician/nurse practitioner gets
• Sending and receiving patient paperwork (note you must contact Bruno@DrRicArseneau.ca if you want to send us documents securely so the Medeo messaging portal can be opened for you.

Communicating with Dr. Ric Arseneau

Appointments
All communication with Dr. Ric Arseneau is only done during medical visits so that information can be added to your chart and included in a note to your doctor or NP.

Email communication
Dr. Ric Arseneau does NOT communicate with patients via email. Please do not send questions or additional information via email unless requested to.