We have innovated our video group services to give you all access to multidisciplinary care covered by MSP.
No wait.No referral needed.
MSP Covered
Non-MSP Services
Other Services
Referrals for:
Contemporary Pain Care
Frequently Asked Questions We are here to help
How do I get an assessment at CHANGEpain?
There are three ways to access our whole person health and pain services.
How do I get seen sooner?
There are two ways to be seen sooner through assessments not covered by MSP:
Access to our MSP-covered physician consultations
At CHANGEpain, your doctor sends an MSP referral. When we receive it, your doctor is notified and we send you a consultation appointment. Our current wait time for scheduling your first MSP consult appointment is about 6 months. This appointment is ONLY confirmed after you fill out the emailed intake questionnaire. If the questionnaire is not completed within 4 weeks of your appointment reminder, your appointment is cancelled.
Access to our private pay physician services
Our specialists offer medical services that are not covered by MSP such as prolotherapy, PRP, lidocaine infusion, ketamine infusion, botox for headache and myofascial contracture, integrative medicine/nutritional assessments and ongoing care. For these services, consultations are $650 for 30 minutes. These can be seen on the same day as any allied health services but cannot be combined with MSP services with the same specialist in the same day.
Access to our private pay allied health services
Assessments by our integrative pain service professionals (chiropractor, manual therapist, physiotherapist, kinesiologist, pain coaches) can be booked directly online.
How do I become a patient at CHANGEpain Clinic?
Why do I need a referral from my provider if my insurance does not require a referral?
Do you keep my primary doctor informed of our work together?
What if I want my records to be sent to a third party (including other Practitioners)?
We will send them after you sign a consent form.
After my referral is sent, how long should I wait for the appointment?
When we receive the referral, your doctor is notified. Our current wait time for scheduling your first MSP consult appointment is about 6 months. You will receive your appointment date confirmation by email. Note that this email will be sent approximately 3 months after your referral is received. This appointment is ONLY confirmed if you fill out the emailed intake questionnaire. You have 14 days to answer the questionnaires. If the day and time does not work for you:
What can I expect when I see my pain management doctor?
Your first consult will be either by video or phone. After completing a detailed history and a thorough physical exam, your pain management doctor may order or suggest your doctor to order additional tests such as radiographic images (including x-rays, MRIs, etc.) or blood tests Chronic pain is a complex process that requires you to use a combination of treatments to get the best results. These recommendations may include medications, pain procedures, group medical visits for pain management education and/or physical therapy and active rehab.
The phone line is busy, is there something I can do about it?
We try to give our best service to our patients. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, our team is overloaded with calls from patients and care providers. Please try again a few minutes later or look at the solutions below.
The most direct way to talk to our team is to participate in a group medical visit where you can pass on the message on.
What information will the front desk Representative need to schedule an appointment?
When calling to schedule an appointment please have the following patient information ready:
How many future procedures can I book with my Doctor?
Maximum 4.
What if I can't make my appointment and I need to reschedule?
We strictly advise all cancellations be made at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will allow us to give another patient the opportunity to be seen. Any cancellation less than 48 hours is considered a late cancellation/missed appointment. Two missed appointments results in discharge from our clinic.
What happens If I don’t show up for the appointment?
If it is an MSP appointment: 2 late cancellations or no-show appointments may result in a discharge from the clinic and a re-referral will be needed to access our services. If it is Private pay service: for any short notice, you are charged the no show fee and this is the full price of the service. Please be advised that your next appointment will not be booked until this fee is paid.
If I call with a question for the doctor, when can I expect a call back?
Our physicians and nurses are with patients throughout the day, so it is usually not possible for them to immediately answer phone calls. For non-urgent calls, an appointment is scheduled as soon as possible. For urgent calls, the doctor will do their best to get back to you within 24-48 hours. For emergencies, please go to your nearest emergency department. To help us get back to you quickly leave us your full name, date of birth, reason for the call and current phone number.
What can I expect at my first doctor’s appointment?
The MSPcovered doctor’s first consultation is 30 minutes and done by video or phone. You will receive the video link in your email 5 minutes prior your appointment, you just have to click and wait for the Doctor to join you online. This appointment will happen via our Electronic Medical Record platform in order to protect your privacy. You will be undergoing a MSP Medical Assessment, for a full consultation. Your doctor will often schedule a physical exam in clinic at another appointment and this may include a procedure if appropriate. If recommendations require a fee, your doctor will let you know. You choose the recommendations that fit your situation best.
What if I am not able to connect with the Doctor at my appointment time?.
There are many reasons why the Doctor may not be able to connect with you at your exact time. Please allow them up to 60 minutes from your appointment time to reach you by video link, by our internet phone or by their own phone where they remove the caller ID. If the appointment does not happen, please do NOT call us. Our staff will be contacting the patient within one week to reschedule the appointment and there is no penalty for this missed appointment.
What can I expect in my treatment plan?
What to bring to your first appointment?
What can I expect for my procedure?
Why can’t I drive or eat if I’m scheduled for a procedure?
Some procedures may require sedation that prevents you from safely eating or drinking. Also, some procedures may inhibit movement in parts of your body that would make it difficult or unsafe for you to drive. Since we cannot be sure how the treatment will affect you, we require you to follow instructions that are provided to you prior to your scheduled procedure.
My passcode to access my EMAIL from CHANGEpain expired, How do I access my that email again?
Will you bill my insurance?
Some non-MSP services are covered by insurance. For insurance covered services, as a service to our patients, primary insurance is billed. We have recently enhanced our system to accommodate automatic billing of secondary insurance. Please be sure to keep us informed of your insurance coverage.
What types of insurance do you accept?
How am I going to get billed?
You will receive an invoice from CHANGEpain Clinic billed under the practitioner you are seeing
What services are not covered by MSP?
The following services are not covered under MSP:
What if I do not have valid health coverage in Canada?
Unfortunately, at this point we cannot provide service to patients who are not Canadian Residents.
What if I live in another province/another country?
With a valid referral, we do accept out of province patients except for patients from Quebec as there is no interprovincial agreements for coverage. However, we must be able to verify your coverage prior to your visit.
Important: Privacy Statement and Consent
Just like online shopping or email, Virtual Care has some inherent privacy and security risks that your health information may be intercepted or unintentionally disclosed. Please ensure your virtual care encounter is in a private setting and should not use an employer’s or someone else’s computer/device as they may be able to access your information. If you want more information, please check our privacy policy.
How do the one-on-one video appointments work?
Making the most of your individual video appointment
Virtual Group Medical Visits
How do I access GMV services?
**Simply click the PATIENT button **Enter your last name, birthday, gender and BC CareCard number.
How much are they?
NO CHARGE for all BC residents who have a valid healthcare number As per MSP rules, only one GMV service per day per patient
Why is a referral from my doctor preferred?
Those who received a referral have full access to our services while those without one have partial access until a doctor’s referral is sent.
Basic Rules of MSP-covered services
How do I sign-up and prevent appointment request rejections?
What to expect after we approve your appointment?
How do I prepare for my appointment?
What about privacy?
Infection Prevention Protocol
CHANGEpain’s Infection Prevention Protocol and Ways of helping yourself stay healthy To minimize interruption of care yet ensure your safety, we have:
Privacy Policy Purpose
This policy outlines how we protect the privacy of your personal information and medical record. Everyone working for this office is required to adhere to the protections described in this policy. If you have any questions regarding our privacy practices, please contact your doctor or one of our staff.
Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
What personal information do we collect?
We collect the following personal information:
When and to whom do we disclose personal information?
Can you withdraw consent?
You can withdraw your consent to have your information shared other health care providers or other parties at any time, except where the disclosure is authorized by law. However, please discuss this with your physician or other clinician first.
Patient Rights
How do you access the personal information held by this office?
You have the right to access your record in a timely manner. If you request a copy of your record, one will be provided to you at a reasonable cost. If you wish to view the original record, one of our staff must be present to maintain the integrity of the record, and a reasonable fee may be charged for this access. Patient requests for access to the medical record can be made verbally, in writing, directed to the physician, or directed to any office staff. Limitations on access: In extremely limited circumstances you may be denied access to your records, but only if providing access would create a significant risk to you or to another person.
What if you feel your record is not accurate?
We make every effort to ensure that all of your information is recorded accurately. If an inaccuracy is identified, you can request that a note be made to reflect this on your file.
Office Safeguards
How long do we keep information?
We retain patient records as required by law and professional regulations.
How do we dispose of information when it is no longer required?
When information is no longer required, it is destroyed in a secure manner, according to set procedures that govern the storage and destruction of personal information.
Complaints process
If you believe that this office has not replied to your access request or has not handled your personal information in a reasonable manner, please address your concerns first with your clinician. You may also choose to make a complaint to:
Patient confidentiality
Patient confidentiality is always a top priority at CHANGEpain. The following are important updates on the confidentiality and information privacy policies pertaining specifically to our virtual care services at CHANGEpain.
Risks of using digital communications
What can you do to improve your own data security?
Concerns or inquiries:
Please direct your questions to our Contact Us page. Our operations manager or medical director would be pleased to discuss these with you in more detail.
Policy last updated May 26, 2020
Reducing Systemic Inflammation
During these challenging times, we are advising the following to help optimize immune system response when dealing with respiratory symptoms that may or may not include COVID infection. The following recommendations of general advice helpful and safe for many people. (Please, always check with your doctor to confirm any of these are appropriate.) The following are important updates on the confidentiality and information privacy policies pertaining specifically to our virtual care services at CHANGEpain.
