2023 block fee
As your family doctors, we are committed to helping you with all of your health care needs. As you know, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) pays for most of your medical visits to our office. However, an increasing number of medical procedures and most administrative services are NOT covered by OHIP. These services require significant time and resources to administer. In the face of rising office expenses, decreasing OHIP fees and government cut-backs, it is no longer possible for us to provide these services without remuneration.
For our patients who use these uninsured services, there are two ways by which you may wish to address these fees:
a. Pay for each individual service at the time the service is provided.
b. Pay an Annual Block Fee to cover most of these uninsured services for a one year period. Coverage
will be from: January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.
The Annual Block Fees are:
$130 – for an individual
$250 – for a couple
$280 – for a family
$100 – for a senior/student
$180 – for a senior couple
Please see the accompanying list of services covered by the Annual Block Fee. If you are financially unable to pay for an uninsured service, but require it, please discuss this with your doctor as we recognize that there are sometimes special circumstances.
We would like to touch on the issue of prescriptions renewals by phone or fax. Each time a prescription request is made by phone or fax without an office visit, (virtual or in person), the following occurs: the patient’s chart needs to be accessed and reviewed by a physician, proper documentation needs to be made and there needs to be a communication between the physician and the pharmacy. Understandably, this takes time and resources. Please make sure you allow several days’ notice when requesting a prescription renewal by phone or fax. If you sign up for the Annual Block Fee, this service will be covered by the fee. Otherwise, there will be a charge for each prescription request made in this manner. This charge will also apply to any auto-faxed requests generated by your pharmacy. Please speak to your pharmacist should you wish to opt out of auto-fax renewals to avoid unwanted charges.
If you do not participate in the Block Fee Program there will be a $30.00 charge for prescription renewal requests by a pharmacy, phone or fax. As much as possible, we try to provide you with repeat prescriptions to last you until your next visit. When you are running low on your medications, it is time to book your next appointment. We have a very busy office so please make sure you call for an appointment at lease a month before your prescription runs out.
Should you choose to submit payment for the Annual Block Fee, there are 4 options:
a. Online - www.doctorsservices.ca/online-payment
b. By mail – you may mail payment in the enclosed pre-paid return envelope
c. By telephone – via Doctors Services at 416-447-3666 or 1-866-423-8267
d. In person at the office
Please be advised that we are using a company called Doctors Services to administer this plan. Any questions or issues regarding the Annual Block Fee should be directed to them by phone at: 416-447-3666 or 1-866-423-8267. If we have missed or included family members who are no longer patients at the office; if we have addressed this from the wrong family physician; or if we do not have the correct contact information, please let us know.
Best wishes and sincerely yours,
The Doctors of Davisville Family Practice
Uninsured Services Fee Guide
