Two years ago, BC became the first province to cover prescription contraception at no cost. However, all available options are for women and people who can become pregnant. Vasectomy access remains limited, with few physicians offering publicly funded procedures.
Patients often face long waits, travel out of town, or pay up to $2,000 privately. Rural communities often have no local or nearby access.
We can’t talk about reproductive choice if vasectomy isn’t truly accessible.
Fee code change (13655)
BC Family Doctors has been working with the Ministry of Health to improve vasectomy compensation, building on our previous contraception work. Our goal is to make it possible for physicians to provide more vasectomies and encourage more physicians to learn how to perform this procedure.
13655 FP vasectomy bonus associated with bilateral vasectomy……………$45.45
- There is no maximum for the number of vasectomy bonuses that can be billed.
- This billing change applies to all vasectomies performed since January 1, 2025.
- If you have provided more than 50 vasectomies this year, you can bill a vasectomy bonus for all additional procedures.
- If you are submitting claims more than 90 days after the date of service (overage claims):
More needs to be done
We’re committed to ensuring every patient in BC can access the full range of contraceptive care — regardless of gender, geography, or income. That’s why we’ve reached out to the BC Urological Society, General Surgeons of BC, and Consultant Specialists of BC to develop a coordinated approach to increasing vasectomy access.
We want to hear your ideas for how we can improve contraceptive access and vasectomy care. Reach out to us at billing@bcfamilydocs.ca