Discipline findings

Discipline Finding - In the Matter of the Complaint of Third Party Payer– As part of a consent resolution, Dr. Hilda Ma admitted that (1) she failed to adequately document her examination of patients for whom she prescribed orthopaedic shoes, orthotics and compression stockings, (2) she did not conduct a complete examination of the patient’s spine and musculo-skeletal structures in every case where she prescribed orthopaedic shoes, orthotics and compression stockings, (3) her office charged for chiropractic services rendered by her staff and not by her, (4) her examination for prescription of compression stockings being limited to below the knee did not meet the applicable standard, and (5) she permitted her office staff to issue documentation that allowed patients to recover reimbursement from third party payer for orthopaedic shoes and orthotics when those patients had not yet paid in part or in full for those services. As a result of these admissions, the Board of the then British Columbia College of Chiropractors reprimanded Dr. Ma, suspended her for 60 days, and ordered her to complete at her own expense an approved course on professional ethics or office management, to submit to a practice audit at her expense if requested by the Registrar, and to pay a fine of $10,000 and costs of $44,000.