EXTENDED BENEFITS
Extended health benefit plans are usually offered by an employer that has contracted with an insurance provider to offer coverage for services. Extended benefit services will allow you to see ANY counselling provider you choose that carries the professional credentials required by your plan. Most extended benefit plans pay for Registered Clinical Counsellors (RCC) and Registered Marriage and Family Therapists (RMFT). However, some plans only cover Registered Psychologists (RPsych) or Registered Social Workers. Arbour currently has one Registered Psychologist, Fred Chou, and the rest of Arbour's counsellors are RCCs and RMFTs. Most benefits cover a maximum dollar amount per year for each family member in the household, and these amounts vary from $500 to several thousand dollars per year.
Arbour does NOT "direct-bill" any extended benefit plans, and instead takes your payment at the time of your appointment. We then issue you a detailed receipt which you can submit to your plan for reimbursement. We accept VISA, MasterCard, Debit, or Cheque.
THIRD-PARTY BENEFIT/CLAIM/GRANT
We define a 3rd party benefit, claim, or grant as a payment that is made by a third-party entity who has an organizational mandate or a special organizational fund to provide financial coverage for counselling services. If you qualify for a 3rd party benefit, claim, or grant to cover some or all of your counselling session costs, Arbour will bill the 3rd party directly, but you need to do the groundwork of obtaining a claim. Arbour has successfully worked with the following 3rd party benefit programs:
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ICBC
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Crime Victims Assistance Program
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MCFD - Autism Funding Unit
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Physicians Health Program
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Regent Christian Online Academy
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Heritage Christian Online Academy, and
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some disability insurance programs.
Please ensure that we have received verification of your claim details before requesting an initial appointment. Be aware that your benefit, claim, or grant may not cover our entire fee, and you are responsible for the remaining balance. If you have a remaining balance, you may also apply for an Arbour subsidy and we will consider a possible $10 or $20 subsidy for households with income less than $70,000 or $60,000, respectively.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PLANS (EAPs)
A few of Arbour's counsellors are providers for a small selection of Employee Family Assistance Plans (EFAPs or EAPs). EAPs and EFAPs are distinct from Extended Benefit plans in that you are limited to the group of counselling providers that are part of that EAP's panel. If your employer offers coverage with any of the three following plans below, you must call your EFAP or EAP direct line to request the Arbour counsellor. Coverage for Arbour therapists is limited to the following EAPs and the corresponding listed therapist(s).
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Arete - Joel Durkovic
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Walmsley Counselling Services - Joan Dosso and Calvin Black
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Lifeworks - Calvin Black
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First Nations Health Authority - Joel Durkovic and Joy Gillett
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We often receive requests for our therapists to join additional EAPs or EFAPs as providers. Please note that we are unable to join any additional EAP or EFAP panels at this time.
DONATION OR BURSARY
It is not uncommon that our clients are part of supportive communities and friends that want to help cover the cost of counselling for people they care about. If you have been gifted with a donation or bursary to cover the cost of counselling, we will bill the donating entity directly based on their arrangement with you. If you believe you would be eligible for an Arbour subsidy, consider applying. If a subsidy is available, we will pass the savings received from the subsidy on to the donor. Otherwise the donating entity will be billed our full rate.
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If you have been granted a bursary or donation, please ask the person responsible for this fund to contact our office manager, Darcie, at admin@arbourcounselling.ca, to inform us of the terms of the bursary. Thank you!