Too good to be true?
Who can blame someone for jumping at a good deal? In fact, usually plan members are encouraged to shop around and find the best price possible in order to save their benefits plans money. But you may not realize that in some provinces, incentives offered by podiatrists, chiropodists and pedorthists contravene the code of conduct for licensed orthopaedic practitioners. And by accepting those offers, plan members could be costing—instead of saving—their group benefits plans money.
Podiatrists and chiropodists are regulated by provincial Colleges or Associations, while pedorthists must adhere to the guidelines set by a national body, the College of Pedorthics of Canada. Each College/Association is a regulatory body whose mandate includes certifying its members and maintaining standards of practice. In provinces such as Ontario and Manitoba where an abundance of suppliers has created intense competition to attract new business, the provincial and national colleges have seen the need to set standards that prohibit the use of coupons, discounts, gratuity offers, special benefits and prizes. Licensed practitioners who offer these kinds of incentives to clients are defying the standards of practice and putting their credibility (and perhaps even their licenses) at risk. They may also be charging plan members more because the price of the incentive could actually be hidden in the price of the orthotics. When plan members pay higher prices, their coverage is exhausted faster, as is the plan sponsor’s benefits budget. This has the potential to lead to a decrease in future coverage.
Plan members can help control costs and preserve coverage by being informed and staying involved. Plan sponsors are important players in plan member education, so encourage plan members to consider the following guidelines when shopping for orthotics.
These regulators can provide more information on standards of practice.
Province |
College/Association |
|
British Columbia |
British Columbia Association of Podiatrists (BCAP) |
(604) 602-0400 www.foothealth.ca |
Alberta |
Alberta Podiatry Association (APA) |
(780) 453-5883 www.albertapodiatry.com |
Saskatchewan |
Saskatchewan Association of Chiropodists (SAC) |
(306) 691-6405 |
Manitoba |
College of Podiatrists of Manitoba (COPOM) |
(204) 942-3256 www.copom.mb.ca |
Ontario |
College of Chiropodists of Ontario (COCOO) |
(416) 542-1333 or 1-877-232-7653 www.cocoo.on.ca |
Quebec |
Ordre des podiatres du Québec (OPQ) |
(514) 288-0019 or 1-888-514-7433 www.ordredespodiatres.qc.ca |
New Brunswick |
New Brunswick Podiatry Association |
(506) 632-9422 |
Submitting an orthotics claim? Be sure to include: