Privacy Policy
Appointment Changes and Cancellations
Please note that appointment changes via email are NOT accepted. Please also note that you must advise us of appointment changes a minimum of two business days before current scheduled appointment.
Payments and Insurance
We accept VISA, Mastercard and Interac debit payments. We do NOT accept any personal cheques or IOUs. We support direct insurance payments guaranteed by credit card.
Privacy
We are committed to protecting the privacy of our patients; personal information and to utilizing all personal information in a responsible and professional manner. This document summarizes some of the personal information that we collect, use and disclose. In addition to the circumstances described, we also collect use and disclose personal information when permitted or required by law. we collect information from our patients such as names, home and work addresses, home and work telephone numbers, and email addresses. (collectively referred to as contact information).
Contact information is collected and used for the following purposes:
- To open and update patient files
- To invoice patient for dental services, to process credit card payments, or to collect unpaid accounts
- To process claims for payment or reimbursement from third-party health benefit providers and insurance companies
- To send reminders to patients concerning the need for further dental examination or treatment
- To send patients informational material about our dental practice.
Contact Information is disclosed to third party health benefit providers and insurance companies where the patient has submitted a claim for reimbursement or payment for all or part of the cost of dental treatment or has asked us to submit a claim on the patient’s behalf. Photographs of patients’ teeth and or face may be taken for documentation of before and after, patient education, internal and external promotion of procedures or of the practice. The ownership of such photos remains the property of Dr. Sunil Venugopal Inc.
Financial information may be collected in order to make arrangements for the payment of dental services. We collect information from our patients about their health history, their family health history, physical conditions and dental treatments (collectively referred to as the “medical information”) Patient’s Medical Inforrnation is collected and used for the purpose of diagnosing dental conditions and providing dental treatment. Patients’ Medical Information is disclosed to:
- Third party health benefit providers and insurance companies where the patient has submitted a claim for reimbursement or payment of all or part of the cost of dental treatment or has asked us to submit a claim on the patient’s behalf.
- Other dentists and dental specialists, where we are seeking a second opinion and the patient has consented to us obtaining the second opinion.
- Other dentists and dental specialists if the patient, with their consent, has been referred by us to the other dentists or dental specialists for treatment.
- Other dentists and dental specialists where those dentists have asked us, with the consent of the patient, to provide a second opinion.
- Other health care professionals such as physicians if the patient, with their consent, has been referred by us to the other health care professional for either a second opinion or treatment.
If we are ever considering selling all or part of our dental practice, qualified potential buyers may be granted access as part of the due diligence process to patient information in order to verify information important to the potential sale. If this occurs, we will take steps to ensure that the prospective buyer safeguards all personal information.
Dentists are regulated by the British Columbia Dental Association and College which may inspect our records and interview our staff as part of its regulatory activities in the public interest.
Our patients consent to the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information as set out above.