Dr. Gerry Prince a family physician who says he is happy to see provincial cuts turned aside.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
Local physicians say the government reversing a decision on what doctors get paid for longer consultations with patients was the right thing to do.
Alberta Health had made plans to reduce what doctors could charge for appointments that went beyond 15 minutes, which would take effect April 1. Physicians had warned of the possibility of appointment times being reduced and perhaps limiting patients to only one health concern per visit.
Tyler Shandro, minister of health, says the first modifier that general practitioners bill for a visit will remain at the 15-minute mark at the current rate of $18.48. Other complex modifiers will remain available at the current rate and current time requirements.
“This is a positive step in the right direction. Given the immensity of the work to be done, to deal with the COVID19 pandemic, government and health-care providers must work collaboratively and co-operatively to maintain the health of Albertans,” said Dr. Paul Parks, emergency physician in Medicine Hat who had recently expressed concerns that without the change hospitals would simply see more patients with a crisis in emergency departments.
In a statement Shandro said the decision had been made so that doctors could focus on patient care and the “critical tasks as hand.”
Dr. Gerry Prince, family physician in Medicine Hat, says the government’s decision is a huge load off the minds of local doctors.
“It is a huge relief for physicians to see government remove this very controversial reduction in light of the overwhelming load exploding on them with the COVID 19 pandemic,” said Prince.
This complex modifier was intentionally built into the primary health-care system over the last 10 years as part of a comprehensive system, said Prince. It was designed to encourage every resident to have a medical home with a physician co-ordinate all their health care needs in one place.
“We believe government does not truly understand the fundamental ways that this complex modifier, when used appropriately, actually saves the system money and allows physicians to provide not only better, but more cost-effective care,” said Prince.
Dr. Christine Molnar, president of the Alberta Medical Association, says a government team and individuals from the AMA have been in discussions recently that led to this announcement.
Molnar says she has asked Shandro to delay the planned implementation of a new physician funding framework on April 1 to allow for a focus on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parks says doctors remain 100 per cent focused on delivering safe and timely care to all in the face of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 virus.
“Only through a united approach will we be successful in mitigating the unprecedented health crisis facing Albertans and Canadians,” said Parks.
In February Shandro announced that Alberta was terminating its agreement with doctors and imposing a new fee structure to commence April 1. The new fee structure was to prevent an additional $2 billion being added to the physicians’ budget over the next three years.
