Fee-For-Service Allocation Priorities for 2023 and 2024
…re able to increase fees more significantly than in previous years. At the February meeting, the Board approved the allocation of funding for the 2023/24 Family Practice Fee Guide Funding and the 2024/25 general fee increases. Fee allocation priorities: While almost all fees will receive some increase, we prioritized some fees for larger increases. We focused on fees in the following categories: Visits: In-office, virtual, and out-of-office visits…
What Family Doctors Need from Digital Health Care
On February 10, your BC Family Doctor’s Board hosted a gathering of family physician leaders from across BC for our first ever Issues Forum. We convened a panel of digital health thought leaders to talk about the triumphs and trials of EMRs, digital prescribing, virtual care and more. The panelists spoke about how family physicians have been navigating a tumultuous shift toward digitally enabled healthcare over the past two decades. Positive adva…
B.C.’s new payment model for doctors sparks change across Canada
…n 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 mod…
B.C. has more family doctors with new payment model, but issues still need addressing
…, I was at my breaking point. And I wasn’t alone. B.C. was facing a severe shortage of family doctors, with clinics closing due to unsustainable working conditions. Almost a million British Columbians were without a family doctor. Today, I’m happy to report that not only is my clinic still open, but I’ve also recruited two new doctors to ensure my patients are taken care of when I’m away. So, what changed? I love family medicine because of the d…
Amplifying patient voices in primary care
…tunities facing our health care system and what Canadians said they need from primary care. 📖 Read the report to learn about the OurCare Standard. 📽️ Watch the video to hear real stories and insights from patients. 📊 Stay tuned! A new survey launches in February to give patients in British Columbia a chance to share their experiences and see how they match up to the OurCare Standard. Your voice matters. Together, we can push for a stronger, more p…
Our new report highlights success of LFP Payment Model
…Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model was created. Launched on February 1, 2023, it was a bold, collaborative solution to stabilize family medicine and improve patient access to care. Two years later, the impact is undeniable. ✅ 1,001 new family doctors ✅ Nearly 250,000 patients connected to care ✅ More medical students choosing family medicine The LFP Payment Model values the time and expertise of family doctors, ensuring they can foc…
Our Apology
…ess caused by the inclusion of Mercy Canada’s mental health program in our February e-Bulletin resource round-up. Our intent in sharing this resource was to provide information, not to endorse any organization’s broader beliefs or values. However, we recognize that the omission of a disclaimer failed to provide critical context regarding Mercy Canada’s publicly stated positions, which do not align with our principles of inclusive and affirming car…
More Than “Just a Family Doctor”
News articles do not necessarily represent the views of BC Family Doctors. We share news written by or about family physicians to keep our members up to date on topics impacting our professional lives. Originally published in: CMAJ Blogs By Dr. Christine Hanna Christine Hanna is a family and emergency physician, the medical director/chief of the Division of emergency medicine at Quinte Health Care, and an assistant professor in the Department of…
What are We Really Telling Our Medical Students?
News articles do not necessarily represent the views of BC Family Doctors. We share news written by or about family physicians to keep our members up to date on topics impacting our professional lives. By Drs. Jane Philpott, Tony Sanfilippo, and Karen Schultz In an ideal world, medical students would go into the [CaRMS] match feeling that all areas of medicine are equally valued, and their choice would be based solely on interest and aptitude. Un…
Preamble to Fees
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Doctors disappointed by lack of support for family physicians in B.C. budget
…course I’m disappointed,” said Doctors of B.C. president Ramneek Dosanjh. “It’s really hard for doctors that have been doing longitudinal practice. If we want to retain them and recruit people, then we need to look at new funding.” Read the full article written by Cindy E. Harnett on the Times Colonist here. News articles do not necessarily represent the views of BC Family Doctors. We share news written by or about family physicians to keep our me…
‘In crisis’: Award-winning B.C. family doctor mulls giving up bursting practice
…COVID-19 a few weeks ago. “I don’t have any paid sick time, and if I don’t work I don’t generate income to pay my staff and pay my rent. And so on the week of isolation, I wasn’t able to rest like my body needed to,” she said. Read the full article written by Simon Little on Global News here. News articles do not necessarily represent the views of BC Family Doctors. We share news written by or about family physicians to keep our members up to dat…
5 Tips to Avoid Teleplan Rejections for In-Office Care
…tions for In-Office Care and increase your billing efficiency. This 1-page article identifies some common errors that lead to fee-for-service billing rejections for in-office care. To determine how a billing submission through Teleplan was adjudicated, take a look through this explanatory codes document that explains the 700 possible reasons your billing was rejected, reduced or refused. It is important to remember that you are ultimately responsi…
Panel Payment
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The Big Idea: Pay family doctors differently
…B.C. government to work on a brand new way to pay physicians: the Longitudinal Family Physician, or LFP, payment model. Read the full article by Dr Renee Fernandez on Macleans….
Board member honoured with excellence award
…eena Innes, Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice Executive Director, as quoted in the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows News. Read the full article in the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows News….
What’s really wrong: Insights from Ontario’s efforts to address the family doctor shortage
…important questions about Ontario’s approach to solving the family doctor shortage. As Ontario brings Dr. Jane Philpott on board to address this issue, Adam argues that the real, underlying problems in family medicine remain largely unaddressed. Here’s a closer look at what he identifies as the core issues. “Make family practice sustainable and you have a healthy system that makes doctors want to stay and incentivizes medical students to get in a…
Your doctor won’t see you—why the LFP Payment Model matters
An article in The Walrus recently shed light on why so many Canadians struggle to find a family doctor. Burnout, overwhelming workloads and outdated compensation systems are making it harder for family doctors in Canada to give the care patients need — and driving new doctors away from the profession. In British Columbia, the majority of family doctors were once compensated by the fee-for-service payment model, which pays doctors based on the num…
Bridging the generational divide
…tional values and long-standing expectations. A recent Wall Street Journal article highlighted the tension between young doctors prioritizing work-life balance and doctors who believe medicine is a calling requiring personal sacrifice. The changing face of medicine Family doctors entering the practice today are pushing back against the grueling hours and relentless demands that defined previous generations, rejecting the notion that burnout is una…
Gender disparity in medicine: A call for equity
…arities that still exist in medicine. A recent Canadian Healthcare Network article highlights the ongoing pay gap and systemic barriers that impact women physicians. Research by Dr. Michelle Cohen and Dr. Tara Kiran shows that male family physicians earn 30 per cent more annually than female physicians, and male specialists earn 40 per cent more. These gaps persist even when adjusting for hours worked and specialty choice. Fee structures, referral…