'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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.