$118M in 'stabilization funding' on the way for family doctors in B.C., minister says
The B.C. Ministry of Health and Doctors of B.C. will provide $118 million in "stabilization funding" over four months to help primary-care providers in the province stay open, officials announced Wednesday.
The funds will be distributed from Oct. 1 to Jan. 31, and will give the ministry and the doctors' organization more time to finalize a new payment model that family doctors in the province have been demanding, Health Minister Adrian Dix said at a news conference Wednesday.
"We're working with the Doctors of B.C. to enact transformational, long-term changes to the way primary care is delivered in our province," Dix said.
Doctors have raised the issue of overhead costs for months, if not years. The investment in space, tools, and equipment is a growing expense, according to the Doctors of BC.
Both family doctors who have their own practices and those working in walk-in clinics will receive funding, which the ministry says it expects to go to more than 70 per cent of family doctors working in the province. Dix said there would be no strings attached.
“It reflects overhead but is essentially a direct payment that will go through clinics to all those doctors,” Dix explained.
Of the total, $75 million will come from the Ministry of Health and $43 million will come from the General Practices Services Committee, which is a joint committee of the ministry and Doctors of B.C.
In a letter to physicians issued shortly before the news conference Wednesday, Dr. Ramneek Dosanjh, the president of Doctors of B.C., estimated that the funds would work out to $27,000 per physician, on average, for the four months.
The province says a total of 4,580 doctors will receive funding, 1,100 of them working in walk-in clinics.
Opposition parties are accusing the government of dragging its feet.
Liberal leader Kevin Falcon addressed reporters outside the event. He called Wednesday’s announcement a "timid" step.
“My strong suggestion to Adrian Dix and the NDP is they have to be bolder. Our system is in such a state of crisis that there are a number of other things we can do,” he added.
The Liberals have called on the NDP government to come up with an urgent 30-day plan and outlined several suggestions that could be done quickly. Addressing overhead costs was one of them. Still, Falcon and Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau say more needs to be done.
In a statement, Furstenau said: “We called for funding to support overhead relief earlier this year. What has taken so long? Far more needs to be done to stop clinics closing, and to ensure people have access to a primary care provider.”
Speaking at the news conference with Dix, Dosanjh described the announcement as "a first step" that will allow for the finalization of the new payment model.
Both leaders said the new model will compensate doctors for their time and the complexity of issues faced by patients. The current payment model compensates doctors on a "fee for service" basis, without incorporating these considerations.
"A new payment model will address rising business costs and also recognize the value of family doctors in the primary-care system," Dosanjh said. "It will also acknowledge the time they spend with their patients, and the complexity involved in providing this type of longitudinal care."
About 20 per cent of people in B.C. don't have a family doctor and officials from Doctors of B.C. have previously said the province isn't "adequately serviced right now."
Earlier this month, Dr. Josh Greggain told CTV Morning Live he's hearing two main things from his colleagues in the field.
"The first one is people are burnt out, tired, it's the long pandemic," he said. "Secondarily it's really around value. What is my time valued as? How can I provide the service to the patients that I'm able to and how can we continue to provide more service to the patients who are currently unattached, that don't have access to care."
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Alyse Kotyk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouse
The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO struggled with deputies and shouted Tuesday while arriving for a court appearance in Pennsylvania, a day after he was arrested at a McDonald’s and charged with murder.
Some added sugar sources are worse than others for disease risk, study suggests
Sugar isn’t helpful when looking to reduce heart disease risk –– but sweet drinks are the worst, according to a study. There are better sweet treats.
Jasper wildfire, flooding, hail among top weather events of 2024: Environment Canada
A wildfire that left a third of a popular Rocky Mountain tourist town in ashes, remnants of a hurricane season that led to record-breaking rainfall and a hailstorm that grounded airplanes are among the top weather-related events of 2024.
Recall issued for pistachio chocolate bar sold across Canada due to 'possible salmonella'
Chocolate lovers are being advised to check their cupboards following a recall of a pistachio-flavoured chocolate bar that was sold in Ontario and across Canada due to a salmonella risk.
'Governor Justin Trudeau': Trump appears to mock PM in social media post
Amid a looming tariff threat, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump appears to be mocking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, referring to him as 'Governor Justin Trudeau' in a post on Truth Social early Tuesday.
Meth wrapped as Christmas gifts seized from Vancouver passenger at New Zealand airport
A woman travelling from Vancouver to New Zealand was arrested after a search of her carry-on duffel bag found methamphetamine wrapped as Christmas presents, according to authorities.
Canada announces new sanctions against Chinese, Russian officials
Past and present senior Chinese officials, as well as Russian officials and collaborators, are the subjects of new human rights sanctions, the Canadian government said Tuesday.
'I never got the impression he would self-destruct:' Friends of suspect in fatal CEO shooting left in shock
Months before police identified Luigi Mangione as the man they suspect gunned down a top health insurance CEO and then seemingly vanished from Midtown Manhattan, another disappearing act worried his friends and family.
Google pulls McDonald's negative reviews over arrest in UnitedHealth murder
Google on Monday removed derogatory reviews about McDonald's MCD.N after the suspect in the killing of UnitedHealth executive Brian Thompson was arrested at its restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, where police say a customer alerted a local employee about him.