Frequently Asked Questions

Is Collegiate Sports Medicine Only for Athletes?

We do specialize in & for injuries and conditions of people living an active lifestyle for sure. But we also have a vast background treating conditions due to sedentary employment or congenital disorders and even spend a lot of time working with all kinds of post-operative rehab to get people back to work or life. We treat osteoarthritis, headaches, injuries from car accidents, flat feet, knock knees, swayback, you name it!

Our specialty is to make sure you know what is actually wrong and get a thorough assessment done to make sure your treatment plan is targeting your specific problem. We will work with your physician to communicate our findings if needed to get further investigations done. We do not want to waste your time or your money and we want to keep you doing what you love… not keep you coming back.

If you are a farmer, Mom, Oilfield worker, teacher, or executive… We will treat you like a professional athlete! You will get a team-based collaborative approach to rehab and getting you better is our priority!

Will Alberta Health Care pay for my appointments?

We have opted out of having coverage because their fees are less than the provincial association recommended fee schedule & we would have to lower our standard of care accordingly. Our model has our therapists see at most 2-3 clients an hour allowing us to spend more dedicated time with our clients.

What if I don’t have private insurance?

  • Many sports teams/associations & schools have accident injury coverage. Consider checking with your team manager or school administrator to ask about possible coverage
  • If the injury is a result of a car accident (as a driver, passenger or pedestrian) there is coverage for injuries as well. Review our for more information – or call us to help.
  • If your injury is from work, you may have WCB coverage – though we aren’t a contracted provider for WCB if you ask your caseworker for permission, we may be able to continue your treatment at our clinic

Why are certain services not covered by my benefits plan?

Benefit eligibility, dollar maximums & frequency limitations are determined by your plan sponsor/employer & outlined in their contract with the insurance provider. The benefits are administered by your insurance provider according to the terms and conditions of that contract/policy.

In other words, each policy is developed individually & can include different coverages for different services. To know what your plan covers review your policy handbook or most companies now have an app or website you can log into to review your coverages

Be sure to check your coverage for your annual and appointment maximums.

Do I need a prescription, referral or pre-approval?

Our clinic does not need a referral to have you see our practitioners but your insurance policy may require one. It’s most common for massage therapy services to need a prescription from a physician, other services that most often need one are & .

In most cases, you can use your insurance company’s online tools or call them to find out what you need.

Can my visits be direct billed to my insurance by the clinic?

In our terms, we call this ‘Assignment of Benefits’, & if your policy has this it simply means that wherever you go for Physiotherapy, Athletic Therapy, Massage, or Chiropractic care the clinic is able to direct bill to your plan on your behalf.

Again, this is an add-on to insurance policies & each policy/insurance company has different allowances for this. Sometimes they allow direct billing for pharmacies &/or dentists but may not allow it for Physiotherapy or Massage for example.

I have a plan as well as my spouse’s plan, which one do we bill first?

We call this Coordination of Benefits. If you have group/employee benefits, submit your claims through this plan first. If you have an individual plan as well, this will be your secondary plan. If your spouse has coverage as well, you can submit claims to this plan with proof that your plans did not cover the expenses.

When it comes to dependents/children, if both parents have plans the ‘primary’ or first plan to be billed is to the parent whose birthday is earlier in the year. For more specific rules on Coordination of Benefits

What are the risks associated with treatment?

AT/PT: for effective assessment, structures are tested & this may create soreness. Safe but thorough testing is needed to test & identify your injury. This may make you sore for a day or two.

Massage: Everyone’s different with tolerance of depth/pressure. You might not feel it until the next day.

Can I bring my young children to the appointment with me?

Yes, you can bring them. For liability and safety reasons we need to ensure you are aware that your child(ren) cannot be playing on any of the therapy machines or exercise equipment. There is a chance of damage to equipment or injury to your child(ren). It is your responsibility to keep them near you during the session.

What can I expect when arriving for my appointment?

With Covid 19 Restrictions we have developed an Appointment Prep page, click here to view all the information you’ll need when arriving for your appointment.