A new family physician payment model has come into effect to help more family physicians start or continue their practice and ensure people throughout the province have access to primary care.

The province says patients will benefit from family physicians having greater flexibility in their practices, both in-person and virtually, compared to the previous payment model.

Patients will also have the option of discussing multiple issues with their physicians, who will now have more time for patient care as administrative pressures are relieved by the new model.

The payment model, which came into effect yesterday, includes three elements: the number of patients a physician sees in a day; the size and complexity of the physician's patient panel; and the time a physician spends providing care and on clinical administrative tasks.

This means family physicians will be compensated for spending extra time with patients, especially those with complex needs, such as patients with mental-health conditions, and seniors.

The Ministry of Health continues to develop measures to support and improve access to primary care, including improved recruitment, retention, and training initiatives.

This includes a digital rostering system to determine where capacity exists throughout the province to attach patients to clinics and providers. The ministry aims to have this system in place by July 2023.

To read the initial announcement about the LFP payment model and PMA, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022HLTH0212-001619

To learn more about B.C.’s Health Human Resources Strategy, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/BCHealthHumanResourcesStrategy-Sept2022.pdf

To learn more about Doctors of BC, visit: https://www.doctorsofbc.ca/