Getting Start
BC Residents with MSP Health Cards
Restrictions on Treating MSP Patients
Currently, the BC Government restricts our surgeons from being able to provide MSP covered services privately to any patient that holds MSP coverage. That is, if the service is covered under MSP, such as a hernia repair, and you hold a valid MSP card, we are NOT allowed to treat you. Our surgeons would be fined $10,000 for a first offence. Therefore, the majority of the services that we provide at PEH is NOT available to our own BC patients but, ironically, we can treat anyone from outside of our Province including patients from Alberta or Internationally.
Some examples to help to clarify this:
Example 1: Client A is in Canada on a work-permit. Client A has applied to for a MSP health card. Client A is looking for a private endoscopy. Endoscopy service is covered under MSP, our BC surgeon will NOT be able to see client A since client A has already applied to our MSP card
Example 2: Client B has a B.C. MSP health card. Client B is also a citizen of another country. Client B is seeking private second opinion on his stomach issue. Our surgeon cannot see client B privately because client B has our MSP health card. Stomach concerns is covered under MSP. Whether client B is our Canadian citizen or hold citizenships from other countries, is not relevant. Client B needs to see a family doctor for the concern for a referral within the public system.
Example 3: Client C has BC MSP health card and has hemorrhoid concerns. Client C is considering hemorrhoid banding and laser hemorrhoid treatment. Banding is covered so this patient would NOT be eligible for treatment at PEH. However, if the patient is interested in our Laser Hemorrhoidoplasty package, which is NOT covered by MSP, we would be able to see the patient.
Example 4: Client D has BC MSP health card and has varicose veins in her legs. These veins are painful but also of cosmetic concern. Client is considering treatment to improve her pain and improve cosmetic appearance. Treatment for pain is a MSP insured service if it is severe. So this client is not eligible for PEH assessment for this purpose. However, PEH can assess and give advice regarding the cosmetic concerns of this client as cosmetic treatment is not MSP covered.
Example 5: Client D has BC MSP health coverage and has discomfort of his varicose veins. He has heard about non-MSP minimal invasive procedures (Venaseal and Venefit) and would like to be specifically considered for these private pay procedures. PEH can help to assess the eligibility of this client for the above procedures.
We will be launching this non-MSP laser hemorrhoidplasty to our patients at early 2026. Multiple hemorrhoids can be treated at the same time. Patient will require only sedation and can go home after the procedure but should stay in the Vancouver area for 24 hours.
Please enquire for further details.
Our surgeon, Dr. Emile Woo, has a fellowship in head & neck surgery with a focus on thyroid surgery. He has gone through training is able to provide ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the thyroid. The MSP-covered ultrasound guided needle biopsy of the thyroid is performed by the radiologist and normal waitlist apply. However, the ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the thyroid, performed by a general surgeon is not covered by MSP and is therefore, available to BC residents privately. If the BC resident requires an ultrasound-guided needle biopsy of the thyroid, now, there is another option. Please note that the patient still needs to be on the MSP waitlist to see the surgeon first.
Please enquire for further details.
If you have a non-painful, symptom-free lipoma and would like to get it removed for cosmetic concerns, we offer a non-MSP private lipoma removal as a package. Please enquire for further details.
We offer this service as a package. The package includes a virtual consultation, the in-person capsule colonoscopy procedure, and a virtual or telephone follow-up appointment. This is an office-based procedure. The patient spends just the morning at the office and can leave the office with a discreet recorder and its sensor belt on. Digital photographs are taken as the capsule travels through the large intestine and are recorded in the recorder.
Please note that the patient needs to cleanse the bowel similar to the preparation for the traditional colonoscopy, ONE day before of the procedure.
Once the capsule excretes the system (in the same day), the patient needs to return the recorder and its sensor belt to our office the next business day. The data needs to be uploaded into our main system in a timely manner, for our surgeon to review. Once the surgeon reviews the data, the patient will be contacted for a follow-up appointment.
Please note that not every patient is suitable for capsule colonoscopy, therefore, a full consultation by the responsible surgeon is required.
Please enquire for further questions.