How do I book my blood/CSF sample draw appointment?
BCNI is the laboratory that does the neuroimmunology testing on samples; however, we do not perform the actual sample draw. For patients getting tested for the following conditions, please go to your nearest outpatient laboratory:
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome
- Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Neuropathy (and other nodopathies)
- NMO and MOGAD
- Autoimmune Encephalitis and Paraneoplastic Syndrome.
For patients getting testing for Alzheimer’s, please speak to your physician or contact our lab, either by phone at 604-822-7175 or at info@bcneuro.ca.
How can physicians order add-on tests to samples already sent to BCNI?
If the sample has been drawn in the past 60 days, doctors may order add-on tests in addition to the initially requested testing. We will need two things to proceed with the test:
- A new, fully completed requisition faxed to our laboratory at 604-822-0758, with the new test selected.
- Indication of who to bill for the test, if the test is not covered. Please visit our test directory page to see which tests are covered by standard Canadian provincial health care systems.
- If the patient is paying for the test themselves, they can pay by visiting our website homepage and clicking the “payment instructions” button.
Which tests are covered by PHS if I’m a doctor in BC?
Our Acetylcholine receptor antibody by radioimmunoprecipitation assay (AChR RIPA) is covered by Provincial Health Services for all ordering physicians in British Columbia.
However, our Muscle-specific Tyrosine Kinase (MuSK) antibody test is only covered if ordered by a neurologist, ophthalmologist, or neuro-ophthalmologist. Similarly, our Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (VGCC) antibody test is covered only if the neurologist is the ordering physician.
For all other tests, unless a prior arrangement has been made with our lab, the test is considered self-pay; this means that the patient or another party must be billed for the test, as these tests are highly specialized and not covered by the government.