B.C.’s new payment model for doctors sparks change across Canada

BC’s new payment model for family doctors, the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model, has created national momentum towards modernizing compensation for physicians.

Family doctors in BC have been using the new model since February 2023, and it’s already showing results—with over 800 new longitudinal family doctors now practicing in the province.

The payment model was designed by family doctors for family doctors. It better supports family doctors by paying for the time spent with patients, the complexity of those patients and the work behind the scenes needed to support patient care. The model is a compensation choice for BC physicians, acting as an alternative to the fee-for-service system.

Seeing the success in BC, other provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI are creating their own updated payment models for family doctors. This shift shows that modernizing physician compensation is a key building block for a robust primary care system, necessary for providing high quality patient care.

As changes roll out across the country, we are proud to work with our colleagues in other provinces as well as consultant specialist in BC to ensure that BC’s successes are replicated in other jurisdictions and specialties. Together, we can shape the future of medicine across Canada.