New one-time payment will support family doctors to deliver new ‘care bundle’ for high risk patients

Jan 26, 2021

A new GPSC one-time payment with a minimum of $1000 will support eligible family doctors who manage high risk patients during the current COVID-19 and influenza season. The GPSC is providing a total of $6-million for the payments, using unallocated funding from 2020, to recognize and support family physicians who are taking on the additional work of identifying and treating patients with care needs noted in the Ministry of Health’s BC Care Bundle for Supporting High Risk Patients Through COVID-19 Pandemic and Influenza Season.

Most eligible family doctors will each receive a one-time payment between $1000 to $1500. The exact amount is based on the number and complexity of Majority Source of Care (MSOC) patients associated with the physician in the Medical Services Plan (MSP) database. In early February 2021, the GPSC will email information to eligible family doctors about registering for the payment.

The GPSC will hold a webinar for family physicians on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PST to review the BC Care Bundle and integrating it into practice using the Pathways online resource. Dr Jeanette Boyd and Dr Tracy Monk will host the webinar.

To assist physicians in rapidly applying the Care Bundle guidance, Pathways now includes an easy-to-use algorithm with embedded links. To find the point of care algorithm, login to www.pathwaysbc.ca and select the specialty of COVID-19 from the blue “Select specialty” tab, or search the word bundle in the search bar. If you do not have Pathways access, send a message to contact-us@pathwaysbc.ca.

BC Care Bundle offers guidance for doctors and other care providers who provide comprehensive longitudinal care to high risk patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and influenza season. The recommendations were developed with input from BC family practice leads and specialists. They include encouraging immunization uptake, creating care plans for intercurrent illness with underlying chronic disease, and optimizing chronic disease management through a review of medications and discussions with patients on their emotional well-being, diet, as well as exercise. The guidance also has a list of resources for more information.

Who is eligible for payment?

To be eligible for the one-time payment, family doctors must be working as a community longitudinal family physician (as defined in the GPSC Preamble) under:

    • Fee-for-service, and have met requirements for and submitted 14070 (CLFP Portal Code) in 2020 or 2021; or,
    • Population Based Funding; or,
    • Northern Model; or,
    • Service/salary contract

Family physicians who provide longitudinal care solely in long term care homes are eligible for the one-time payment as long as they have met the requirements for and submitted 14070 in 2020 or 2021 (or 14072 in 2021).

To be eligible, family physicians must complete and submit an online claim form confirming that they:

    • Are currently working as a community longitudinal family physician
    • Have reviewed and understood the BC Care Bundle
    • Informed by the BC Care Bundle guidance, are actively providing or managing (or have arranged for another family physician to substitute on a temporary basis) the longitudinal care of high risk patients during the 2020/21 fall/winter COVID-19 and influenza season

In early February 2021, the GPSC will email all eligible family physicians to provide a link to the online claim form for the one-time payment.

What is the payment amount?

    • Individual payments will range with a minimum payment of $1000.
    • The majority of eligible family physicians will receive between $1000 to $1500.
    • Payment amounts will be calculated based on the number of patients and the complexity of care according to the Majority Source of Care (MSOC) provider based on MSP data from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
    • Eligible family physicians with less than 50 MSOC patients in the 12-month period will receive a one-time payment of $1000. Eligible family physicians with 50 or more MSOC patients in the 12-month period will receive a one-time payment of greater than $1000.

How will eligible doctors receive the payment?

    • By early February 2021, eligible family physicians will receive a link to an online claim form to apply for the one-time payment. Family physicians must submit the claim form to receive the one-time payment.
    • While the one-time payment is paid directly to eligible physicians by Doctors of BC, physicians and clinic owners are advised to come to a mutual agreement on how existing business arrangements apply to this payment.

Key dates

    • Tuesday, February 2 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PST – GPSC will host a webinar about incorporating the BC Care Bundle into practice. Register for the webinar.
    • February 2021 – GPSC will email eligible family doctors the link to an online claim form for the one-time payment aligned with the BC Care Bundle
    • February/March 2021 – Doctors of BC will make the payments to eligible family physicians.

More information

    • A detailed FAQ about the new payment is available.
    • Join a webinar with Dr Jeanette Boyd and Dr Tracy Monk on Tuesday, February 2, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. PST for general information about the BC Care Bundle, Pathways resources to support the BC Care Bundle in practice, and the one-time payment. Register for the webinar.
    • If you have any questions, please email gpsc.billing@doctorsofbc.ca