BC was the first province in Canada to come up with a family physician payment model that acknowledged and paid family physicians for the numerous hours they spend on administrative tasks (like charting and reviewing results). In their ground-breaking model, they pay an amount per patient visit, an hourly amount, and an amount per patient that they see in a year (a so-called ‘panel payment’).

This was a game changer for how a usually ‘fee-for-service-only’ model could be expanded. Family doctors easily spend 30-40% of their work time doing tasks that don’t generate them any money, which is why they often rush through visits with patients. They hate it, but it can be their only option in a poor paying, fee-for-service structure.

As much as we applaud BC for its revolutionary model and opening up other governments’ eyes to having to do better, it is important that BC doesn’t fall behind in payments. BC is a real expensive place to live, and at $82/hr after overhead and tax, many family doctors still struggle to pay off their school debt and afford housing. It’s a good start, but it needs to continually match the increased cost of living and competition across the country.