Adriana LaGrange is shown during a livestream announcement on Thursday.--SCREENSHOT
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
The latest move in the province’s effort to make primary health care more accessible for Albertans is a new primary care physician compensation model.
The model is the result of a commitment made last year, the province says, and a memorandum of understanding with the Alberta Medical Association in order to attract more doctors to Alberta and alleviate pressures in other areas of the health-care system.
“We have worked with the Alberta Medical Association to address the challenges that primary care physicians are facing,” Health Minister Adriana LaGrange told reporters Thursday. “This model will provide the supports physicians need and improve patient access to the care they need.”
The new model is structured to encourage physicians to grow the number of patients they care for and encourage full-time practice. Incentives include increases for high panel numbers, providing after-hours care, improving technology and enhancing team-based care, all with the goal of increasing the appeal to provide more accessible and higher-quality care.
“Albertans must be able to access a primary care provider,” Premier Danielle Smith said. “We’ve been working hard with our partners at the Alberta Medical Association to develop a compensation model that will not only support Alberta’s doctors but also improve Albertans’ access to physicians. Ultimately, our deal will make Alberta an even more attractive place to practise family medicine.”
Additionally, family physicians who are not compensated through the traditional fee-for-service model, such as those who provide inpatient care in hospitals or rural generalists, will now receive higher pay rates under their payment model, known as the alternative relationship plan.
This announcement was well received by AMA, which released a president’s letter referring to Thursday as “a great day for Alberta’s health-care system and our patients.”
Similar cautious optimism was provided by the Alberta NDP, which released a statement from health critic Sara Hoffman in regards to this “good first step,” though she believes it to be overdue.
“Hopefully this will stop the further hemorrhaging of health-care workers who have had to close practices, move away from our province and even leave the profession,” said Hoffman. “This UCP government must now be focused on and committed to recruiting, retraining and showing respect to all health-care workers.”
Enrolment in the primary care physician compensation model will begin in January with full implementation in spring 2025, provided at least 500 physicians enrol.
