Question 1

How do I arrange an initial consultation?

Accepted Answer

Use the [contact form](/contact) or call **(250) 818-4425**. The initial consultation is a conversation about what you are looking for and whether Monarch Health is a sensible fit, and there is no obligation to join afterwards.

Question 2

What happens on the first conversation?

Accepted Answer

We listen first. You tell us what is going on, who is already involved - family physician, specialists, family - and what is or is not working. We do not make clinical decisions in that conversation; it exists to work out whether we are the right fit and which membership makes sense.

Question 3

How do I know which membership is right?

Accepted Answer

The [comparison page](/memberships) sets the five out side by side, and life stage is usually the fastest way in. If it is not obvious, the consultation exists precisely to work it out - it is a common reason people get in touch.

Question 4

Do I need to already be with Monarch?

Accepted Answer

No. Many members come to us already having a family physician elsewhere, and that relationship continues. Membership is about the proactive and coordination layer around your care, not about replacing your GP.

Question 5

Can I move between memberships?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is expected. The memberships are organized around life stage and circumstance, both of which change. Moving between them is a conversation with your care team rather than a new application.

Question 6

Are the age ranges strict?

Accepted Answer

No. The ranges are guidance about who each membership was designed around, not eligibility rules. What matters is your circumstances - someone at 60 managing several conditions may be better served by **Monarch Ageing in Place** than by **Monarch Executive**.

Question 7

Can I arrange a membership for a parent?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is how many **Monarch Ageing in Place** arrangements begin, especially within its coordinated-care pathway. The person receiving care consents to it and remains the member; the arrangements and the communication can involve you with their permission.

Question 8

Can two people in a household join?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each person holds their own membership, because each has their own assessment, plan and clinical record. Get in touch and we will talk through how that works in practice.

Question 9

Can I buy a clinical program on its own?

Accepted Answer

No. [Programs](/programs) are delivered within a membership rather than sold separately, and which of them apply to you follows from what your assessment finds and what you and your physician decide to work on.

Question 10

What exactly am I paying for?

Accepted Answer

Uninsured services only - the assessment depth that goes beyond what MSP covers, the planning, the coordination, the monitoring and the ongoing support. Insured physician services are billed to MSP and are not part of the membership fee.

Question 11

Are there costs beyond the membership fee?

Accepted Answer

Some investigations, medications and third-party services carry their own costs, and where that applies we tell you before anything is arranged. Fee disclosure in advance is a requirement we take seriously, not a courtesy.

Question 12

Does a membership replace my family physician?

Accepted Answer

No. Membership does not guarantee access to or replace a General Practitioner, Family Physician, or any MSP-insured primary care service. It sits alongside that care.

Question 13

Does membership change access to MSP-covered tests or specialists?

Accepted Answer

No. Membership does not provide expedited access to MSP-covered laboratory tests, diagnostic investigations or specialist referrals. Anyone suggesting otherwise would be describing something we are not permitted to offer.

Question 14

Do I have to join to get insured care?

Accepted Answer

No. Monarch does not provide or bill insured care, and enrolment in a Monarch program is not a precondition for accessing insured physician services. Provincial health insurance covers essential physician services regardless of whether you hold a membership.

Question 15

How does this work with publicly funded home care?

Accepted Answer

It works alongside it. Where someone is eligible for publicly funded home and community care, we help them access it - our role is the clinical oversight and the coordination that tends to be missing when several providers are involved.

Question 16

We need something arranged quickly. Is that possible?

Accepted Answer

Often, yes, though it depends on what is needed. Get in touch and tell us the situation - even where we cannot help immediately we can usually point you somewhere useful.

Question 17

Do you provide 24-hour or residential care?

Accepted Answer

No. Monarch Health does not provide 24-hour supervision or residential care. Where that is what is needed, we say so, and we help the family work out what the options are.

Question 18

Which privacy laws apply to my information?

Accepted Answer

Two, and they are different things. British Columbia's **Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)** is the provincial law governing how a private practice here handles your personal information. The **Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)** is federal. We also follow the record-keeping standards set by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. Our [privacy policy](/privacy) sets out what we collect, why, how long we keep it, and how to ask for access, a correction or deletion.

Question 19

Do the assessment tools on this site store my answers?

Accepted Answer

No. The tools under [Resources](/resources) run in your browser, and your answers are not sent to us. If you are signed in to a free account when you finish a tool, your result (not your answers) is saved in your account automatically, and stays there until you remove it or delete it. If you are not signed in, nothing is sent.

Question 20

Should I put health information in the contact form?

Accepted Answer

Please do not. The form deliberately does not ask for health information, and a web form is not a secure place for it. Tell us you would like to talk and we will arrange a conversation.

Question 21

Who can see my health record?

Accepted Answer

Your care team, and anyone you explicitly consent to. Where family members are involved in arranging care, what they can see is governed by your consent rather than by their involvement.

Question 22

Do you offer virtual appointments?

Accepted Answer

Yes, alongside in-person care rather than instead of it. Your physician will arrange a timely in-person assessment whenever one is clinically appropriate. Virtual care is offered to patients located in British Columbia.

Question 23

Do you travel to me?

Accepted Answer

Yes - a great deal of our work happens in your home. Some visits can also happen at our Victoria clinic at **1823 Fort St**, or at your workplace. Travel beyond Greater Victoria is something we discuss during the consultation.

Question 24

What if Monarch is not the right fit for us?

Accepted Answer

We will tell you. If your situation is better served by a different provider - a home health agency, a hospital program, or your existing GP - we will say so on the first call, and there is no fee for that conversation.

Question 25

How quickly can you start?

Accepted Answer

We aim to schedule the first assessment promptly after the initial consultation, subject to clinician and service availability. Urgent concerns are directed to the appropriate service, depending on the situation.

Question 26

Can care at home be combined with a membership?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it usually is. [Ageing in Place and Home Care](/care) are how **Monarch Ageing in Place** is delivered, so the clinical plan and the support at home are one arrangement rather than two.

Question 27

What about emergencies?

Accepted Answer

For a medical emergency, call **911**. Monarch is not an emergency service. We do coordinate aftercare following an emergency room visit or a hospitalization, and adjust the care plan accordingly.

Question 28

Do you provide end-of-life care?

Accepted Answer

We work alongside hospice and palliative care providers within some Monarch Ageing in Place coordinated-care arrangements. Whether we are the right team depends on the household's needs, so it is worth talking through in the consultation.

Question 29

Will my extended health plan cover any of this?

Accepted Answer

Some extended health and group benefit plans cover nursing visits, certain medical services, or assistive equipment. Memberships themselves are usually not covered. We are happy to help you read your policy during the consultation - bring it along.

Question 30

How do payments work?

Accepted Answer

Membership fees are billed monthly or annually. Where caregiver hours form part of an arrangement, those are typically billed monthly based on the staffing pattern. Full payment terms are part of the written agreement you receive before services begin.

Question 31

Which areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

Greater Victoria - including Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood, Langford, Sidney and the Western Communities. We also serve several communities further up Vancouver Island. Ask during the consultation if you are outside that radius.

Question 32

What if I am outside Greater Victoria?

Accepted Answer

For households on Vancouver Island beyond our regular radius, we will discuss virtual care options or coordinate with a provider closer to you. We are honest about our limits - this kind of care does not work well at long distance.

Question 33

Do you provide care outside British Columbia?

Accepted Answer

No. Clinical care is provided only to patients located in British Columbia. Family members who live elsewhere can absolutely be part of the conversation and the care plan.

Question 34

Who actually delivers the care?

Accepted Answer

A physician leads the clinical decisions, and a care coordinator holds the arrangement together. Nurses, allied health and - where a household needs it - trained caregivers are added to the team as the plan requires.

Question 35

What credentials do your clinicians hold?

Accepted Answer

All Monarch physicians are licensed and regulated by the **College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia (CPSBC)**. All registered nurses are registered with the **BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)**. Individual clinician profiles are published once each credential has been verified.

Question 36

Will I see the same people every visit?

Accepted Answer

Continuity is the point. Your physician and nurse stay with you across visits, and where caregivers are involved we build a small team around the household so substitutions are rare and predictable.

Question 37

What home safety protocols are in place?

Accepted Answer

Every caregiver is screened, including background checks, and is trained and insured. Shift handovers are documented. Family contacts can request shift notes with the member's consent. Any incident is reported to the care coordinator and reviewed by the clinical team.

Question 38

Who do I contact if I have a concern about my care?

Accepted Answer

Please call us on **(250) 818-4425**, or email [info@getmonarchhealth.com](mailto:info@getmonarchhealth.com). A concern about care goes to the care coordinator and is reviewed by the clinical team.

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