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Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance Direct Billing Policy
Insurance Failure to Pay Policy
We deeply regret having to implement the following policy.
Further information as to why this policy exists can be found in the section at the bottom of this page.
Our office will submit invoices for services provided to your insurer using the information YOU provided in agreeing to the Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance Direct Billing Policy. The onus is on you/your insurer to ensure the correct details have been provided to our office for successful invoice submission. We require a fax number for your BODY INJURY adjuster to submit billing documents and clinical paperwork. Email communication of billing details is not considered a secure format.
1. Insurance Payment Window:
Our office will send all payment requests via fax and will receive confirmation of receipt from our fax system. Alberta law allows insurance companies 30 days from the date the invoice for services was issued to pay the provider.
2. Final Notice:
Should payment for services provided not be received within 30 days of your insurance adjuster receiving our request (sent to the fax number you provided), we will send a final notice to the insurance company. At this time, you will also receive email copies of the fax confirmation for both the original request and the final notice request. At this time, YOU will need to discuss with your insurance representative why they have failed to make payment as required by Alberta law within the 30-day time frame allowed. Our office will wait 2 weeks from the date we send the Final Notice to receive payment. Failure of our office to receive payment within 2 weeks of the Final Notice being sent will result in our office charging the Administrative Fee.
3. Administrative Fee:
We will apply a $50 weekly administrative fee to the credit card on your account starting 2 weeks from our office, sending the Final Notice when payment has not been received. This weekly fee will continue until the account is either paid by the insurer or you have opted to make alternative payment arrangements. This fee is being charged to offset substantial administrative costs our office incurs when insurance companies fail to make payment as the law requires, or when we are provided incorrect billing information to obtain payment.
Why This Policy Exists
At the time of drafting this Policy, our office has outstanding insurance-related payments totalling over $12,000. Each week, our administrative team spends significant time resending requests and follow-ups, and countless hours on the phone with insurance companies, to collect these overdue amounts we are owed. At times, our office pays more in wages to chase a payment than it collects in total.
While insurance providers are legally required to issue payment within 30 days, many do not. Currently, our office has over $3,500 in accounts that are more than 120 days overdue, with very limited recourse available to us as the care provider.
Our experience has shown that insurance adjusters often prioritize keeping their policyholders satisfied. Yet, that same level of responsiveness is rarely extended to the clinics and providers who deliver the care. Unfortunately, this situation places an unreasonable administrative and financial burden on our team. We have exhausted every available option to improve payment timelines and communication with these companies. However, we do not hold the power to compel payment—our patients do.
This imbalance has created a bureaucratically broken and inefficient system that unfairly impacts both providers and patients.
We deeply regret that such a policy has become necessary. We have tirelessly advocated for fairer processes and faster payments, but unfortunately, our efforts have not led to meaningful change. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work within the limits of this flawed system to continue providing high-quality care.
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