This year's Community Longitudinal Family Physician (CLFP) payment will increase by an average of $6200 over last year’s average payment. This includes a one-time payment (an average of $5000) to eligible family physicians, along with an ongoing increase (an average of $1200). Family physicians will receive this payment in February 2022.
Throughout 2022, look for additional supports from the General Practice Services Committee (GPSC) for family physicians such as enhanced maternity fees and workflow supports that will be aimed at reducing the administrative burdens that consume much of your time.
As part of its supports for longitudinal family medicine, the GPSC provides eligible family physicians with the CLFP payments, which recognize the additional responsibilities of CLFP physicians to maintain or enhance relational continuity between doctors and patients.
About the CLFP increases
Doctors will receive an annual payment that will be ongoing into the future and a one-time payment.
Increase in annual payment
- The average annual payment will increase by about $1200 from last year, and this increase is expected to continue in future years. This means that the majority of eligible doctors will receive a payment amount between $5000 to $8000 for the year.
- The minimum CLFP 2021 payment amount will increase by $1000 to $4000 (last year’s minimum was $3000). The maximum payment amount will remain at $12,000.
- The payment amount to eligible new-to-practice physicians will also increase from $3000 in previous years to $4000.
One-time payment
- In addition to the annual CLFP payment increases, eligible family doctors will receive a one-time payment of $3000 to $7000 based on the number and complexity of Majority Source of Care (MSOC) patients associated with the family doctor.
- The one-time payment is only available to family doctors who receive the regular CLFP 2021 payment and is not available to doctors receiving the CLFP 2021 new-to-practice payment.
- This one-time payment likely won’t be available in future years.
Eligibility – Family physicians
The CLFP payment recognizes that maintaining or enhancing relational continuity between family physicians and patients requires family doctors to take on additional responsibilities, needed to provide ongoing and coordinated care, for which fee-for-service does not compensate.
Fee-for-service, community-based family physicians are eligible for the CLFP 2021 payment if they meet the following conditions:
- Met the requirements for and submitted the CLFP Portal Code (14070) by the MSP cut-off date of July 5, 2021.
- Had 50 or more patients for whom the physician was the Majority Source of Care (MSOC) provider based on fee-for-service family physician visits in 2020.
Eligibility – New-to-practice family physicians
To be eligible, new-to-practice family physicians must:
- Meet the requirements for and submit the CLFP portal code (14070) in 2021.
- Not have qualified for any CLFP payments in previous years (2019, 2020, 2021).
- Have begun practicing as a community longitudinal family physician in BC prior to August 1, 2021.
More information
Eligible physicians, including new-to-practice physicians, will receive an email from GPSC with payment details.
Additional information can be found on the CLFP payment webpage. If you have questions, please contact gpsc.billing@doctorsofbc.ca.