'I'm not convinced': Many family doctors hesitant as new B.C. payment model kicks in
A new payment model for family doctors in B.C. kicked in Tuesday, but many are still hesitant.
The model was first announced in October, with officials hoping it will help address some of the issues the province has in attracting and retaining physicians.
Under the plan, doctors will be paid based on the time they spend with patients, the number of patient visits, the number of patients in their practice and the medical complexity of those patients, officials said at the time.
The province estimates a full-time doctor will receive about $385,000 per year under the new model, up from $250,000 currently.
At a news conference Wednesday, Health Minister Adrian Dix said he believed the change was “the most significant reform to primary care” in his lifetime.
“This is an important moment in the history of the public health-care system. It is not going to improve everything overnight, but it shows our joint determination to make things better,” Dix said, referring to the collaboration between the province and Doctors of BC.
As of Wednesday morning, just over 1,000 doctors had signed onto the new payment plan, about 20 per cent of the roughly 6,500 physicians across the province.
Dix said he believed there will be “many more” in the coming days.
One of those still waiting is Vancouver family physician Dr. Anna Wolak.
“I wasn’t comfortable signing up for it yet and I’m not sure if it’s going to happen or when it’s going to happen,” Wolak said. “It didn’t seem as rosy as was initially made out to be in October/November.”
Wolak said there were still a number of questions that remained unanswered, particularly for doctors with already-established practices, around how the new plan would be of benefit.
“As minimal as the reward is, people are still rewarded for the complexity of their patients. We don’t see that translating yet in the new model,” she said. “There was a document that was sent out, but it was very vague.”
She said at one point officials held a one-hour webinar with doctors, but afterwards, there were still “300 questions that remained unanswered.”
Dix responded to concerns by saying: “We know there will be bumps in the road.”
“There are of course going to be questions under a new model, but the core of this model is to respect the work doctors do,” Dix said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
What to pack during an emergency
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Regulated area for invasive box tree moth expanded to parts of the Maritimes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has added much of the Maritimes to a regulated area for an invasive species.
Already expensive, planning for fertility treatment difficult as costs vary widely
Being unable to have a child naturally can be extremely difficult. But when you factor in the high costs of fertility treatments, the range of individual circumstances and the fact that the industry itself is secretive about fees, it can make the whole ordeal even more devastating and hard to plan for.
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.