The following e-mail was shared with family physicians in BC on May 30, 2023.
Dear Colleagues,
The new Longitudinal Family Physician Payment Model, introduced in February, represents a major shift in how family medicine is practiced in BC to make it more sustainable, rewarding and enabling our doctors to provide quality care for our patients – the reason family doctors came into the profession in the first place.
It is important to remember, however, that this is just a start. The need to implement the payment model quickly meant that its initial focus was on services provided in clinic and home settings as the foundation of a longitudinal family practice. We value our longitudinal physicians who provide essential care in facilities, and the intention has always been to expand the model as soon as possible. This high priority work is currently underway, and we expect an announcement to take place no later than October 2023.
Meanwhile, we have heard concerns from physicians who provide inpatient and maternity care in hospitals, and care in long-term care facilities, that help is needed to ensure those services continue to be provided while we work to expand the model. We have heard you, and today we are announcing that FPSC will provide $29 million in one-time funding to help bring stability so that these much-needed and essential services continue.
This stop-gap measure will help to support these family physicians until such time as the model is expanded. While substantial, we know this stabilization funding won’t meet all the compensation and support needs of family physicians doing this work. As noted, this is an interim measure, to help sustain these critical services. FPSC applied a number of principles when making the decision. First and foremost, we wanted to get this funding out the door to you as quickly as possible. We also considered the need for payment equity across communities, community flexibility, and the need to minimize administrative burden. In addition, we took into consideration the number of family physicians providing care and their volume of work within the total funding envelope.
Funding allocations
In addition to current supports from FPSC, the funding allocations will be as follows:
- Inpatient care – $10.2 million – to divisions of family practice to administer for physician payments in support of inpatient care.
- Long-term care – $13.5 million – funding to physicians who are participating in the FPSC Long-Term Care Initiative with a minimum of 5 long-term care beds who commit to maintaining their long-term care services until December 31, 2023.
- Maternity care – $5 million – funding will go directly to physicians who are participating in the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative and commit to maintaining their hospital maternity services until December 31, 2023.
This new funding is in addition to FPSC’s current total annual funding for facility-based care. Each year, FPSC provides these funds for facility-based care by family physicians:
- $31.4 million for inpatient care.
- $12 million for long-term care.
- $4.3 million for maternity care in hospital, including direct funding to individual physicians via MSP for maternity network fees.
What happens next
In early June, FPSC will email information to the divisions explaining how to apply for physician compensation for the inpatient funding. FPSC will email information about applying for a one-time maternity grant to family physicians who are actively participating in the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative, and information about applying for a one-time long-term care grant to eligible family physicians who are participating in the Long-Term Care Initiative.
If you have any questions about FPSC’s new funding, please email fp.billing@doctorsofbc.ca.
Sincerely,
Dr Sari Cooper, FPSC Co-Chair and Family Physician
Ted Patterson, FPSC Co-Chair and Assistant Deputy Minister, Primary Care Division, BC Ministry of Heal
Q/A
- Inpatient care: The Divisions of Family Practice will apply for funding from FPSC and distribute it to eligible physicians
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How much funding is available for inpatient care?
FPSC is allocating $10.2 million in 2023/24 through the divisions of family practice to family physicians who provide inpatient care at eligible hospitals. This funding is in addition to the $31.4 million that FPSC spends annually for inpatient care.
How do family physicians apply for the funding?
In early June, FPSC will email eligible divisions of family practice and ask them to submit a funding application form. FPSC will provide funding to eligible divisions of family practice to support their local inpatient care programs. Each division will have its own process for distributing payments to family physicians participating in their inpatient care programs.
What is the payment amount per eligible family physician?
Each division of family practice will determine the funding parameters for family physicians in their communities. When applying for FPSC funding, payment programs proposed by divisions of family practice (including MSP billings and existing FPSC and/or health authority funding) may not exceed $250 per physician service hour or comparable Medical On-call Availability Program (MOCAP) rates for hospitalist availability. Please see FAQ document for more details.
Who is eligible to receive funding?
Each eligible division of family practice will determine the eligibility criteria for family physicians participating in the division’s inpatient care program. FPSC will provide divisions with additional payment parameters to ensure proposed payments to physicians align with provincial payment standards for inpatient care. Please see FAQ document for more details.
Which hospital locations are eligible for funding?
Hospital locations where groups of community-based family physicians on fee-for-service provide and coordinate inpatient care for their attached patients are eligible for funding. These hospital locations may also have hospitalist programs funded by the health authority or “hospitalist-like” programs funded by local divisions of family practice to manage inpatient care for unattached or unassigned patients. In most cases, hospital locations eligible for funding are also currently receiving FPSC Inpatient Care Bridge Funding.
What can the funding be used for?
The funding must be paid to physicians although divisions may allocate up to 10 per cent for administration expenses. FPSC will provide divisions with additional payment parameters to ensure proposed payments to physicians align with provincial payment standards for inpatient care. Please see FAQ document for more details.
What’s the deadline for divisions to apply to FPSC for funding?
Divisions of family practice must send the completed application form to FPSC by July 31, 2023. FPSC will email the application forms to eligible divisions in early June.
How many physicians will receive the funding?
There are between 1800-1900 community-based family physicians providing inpatient care services in British Columbia.
Where can I find more information about the grant?
Please see the FAQ document for more information.
- Long-term care: Eligible family physicians can apply for a one-time $10,000 grant
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How much funding is available for long-term care?
FPSC is allocating $13.5 million in 2023/24 through a one-time grant to eligible family physicians who provide services in long-term care. This funding is in addition to the approximately $12 million that FPSC currently provides for its Long-Term Care Initiative.
What is the payment amount per eligible family physician?
Eligible family physicians will each receive a one-time grant of $10,000.
Who is eligible to receive funding?
Family physicians who provide long-term care services are eligible for the grant if they meet all of these requirements:
- Be actively participating in the FPSC Long-Term Care Initiative (LTCI) as of June 30, 2023 and providing long-term care services according to the following best practice expectations:
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24/7 availability (as a collective group) and on-site attendance when required.
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Proactive visits to residents.
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Meaningful medication reviews.
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Completed documentation.
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Attendance at case conferences.
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Provide MRP care for a minimum of 5 long-term care beds as of June 30, 2023.
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Commit to maintaining long-term care services according to LTCI best practice expectations until December 31, 2023.
Physicians providing long-term care services under an Alternative Payment/Funding Model are eligible provided they meet the grant’s eligibility criteria.
How do family physicians apply for the funding?
In early June 2023, FPSC will email eligible family physicians information about completing an online form. The application form will require physicians to confirm that they understand and meet the grant requirements. Doctors of BC will pay a one-time grant with FPSC funding to eligible family physicians. The payment will be remitted to the same bank account that physicians have linked to receive sessional payments from Doctors of BC.
What is the grant application deadline?
Family physicians must send the completed online application form to FPSC by July 31, 2023.
How many physicians will receive the funding?
There are approximately 1350 family physicians providing long-term care in BC.
Where can I find more information about the grant?
Please see the FAQ document for more information.
- Be actively participating in the FPSC Long-Term Care Initiative (LTCI) as of June 30, 2023 and providing long-term care services according to the following best practice expectations:
- Maternity care: Eligible family physicians can apply for a one-time $10,000 grant
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How much funding is available for maternity care?
FPSC is paying $5 million in 2023/24 to family physicians who commit to continuing to provide maternity care in hospital and who meet the requirements of the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative. This funding is in addition to the $4.3 million that FPSC spends annually on maternity network payments and fees.
What is the payment amount per eligible family physician?
Eligible family physicians will each receive a one-time grant of $10,000.
Who is eligible to receive funding?
To be eligible for the grant, family physicians must be actively participating and meeting the requirements of the Maternity Care Network Initiative (14010) as of June 30, 2023 and commit to doing so until December 31, 2023. Please see the FPSC Maternity Care Billing Guide for more details about the requirements of the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative. Physicians working under an alternative payment/ funding model are eligible provided they meet the grant’s eligibility criteria.
How do family physicians apply for the funding?
In early June 2023, FPSC will email eligible family physicians information about completing an online form, which will require physicians to confirm that they understand and meet the grant requirements. Doctors of BC will pay a one-time grant with FPSC funding to eligible family physicians. The payment will be remitted to the same bank account that physicians have linked to receive sessional payments from Doctors of BC.
What is the grant application deadline?
Family physicians must send the completes online application form to FPSC by July 31, 2023.
How many physicians will receive the funding?
There are approximately 500-550 eligible family physicians in BC. Eligible family physicians participate in the FPSC Maternity Care Network Initiative.
Where can I find more information about the grant?
Please see the FAQ document for more information.