Achi news desk-
The Alberta government says it is closing in on a new deal for family doctor pay, but a group of doctors says it must include those with small patient rosters.
Details of the framework announced on Wednesday have not yet been hammered out, including specific rates. But the United Conservative government expects its new compensation model will make Alberta a leader in attracting and retaining family doctors.
It comes after Premier Danielle Smith pledged late last year to ensure every Albertan has a primary health care provider by the next election, expected in 2027.
The president of the Alberta Medical Association, Dr. Paul Parks called the announcement “extremely positive,” but said doctors with smaller patient panels could stop offering important comprehensive care if they are left out.
“We don’t want that to happen,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview.
He added that it was too early to put a dollar figure on the deal, but said it could require hundreds of millions of annual funds.
“This is going to be a historic investment in family medicine care in the province,” he said.
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For months, his association has warned that family clinics are being pushed to the financial brink.
Starting in April, the association said $92 million went out the door as part of $200 million in federal funding over two years to help stabilize family practices.
But, under that programme, doctors need a panel of at least 500 patients to be eligible.
That minimum has come under fire, including from the Opposition New Democrats, but Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said her goal is to encourage those doctors to take on more patients.
It remains to be seen whether the new agreement will include a similar requirement.
“I would like to see the larger panel sizes, but we’re still working through that with the Alberta Medical Association,” LaGrange said.
Parks said he believes LaGrange understands how important it will be to offer incentives to family doctors to increase the size of their panels without excluding them from the compensation model.
The government estimates there are 700 GPs in the province with fewer than 499 patients, while just over 2,900 have 500 or more.
The new deal is expected to see doctors paid based on things like how many patients they see and how many hours they work, but there is no firm timetable for when it will be completed .
A rate review committee made up of Alberta Health and the Alberta Medical Association is expected to help make final recommendations to the minister in the fall.
“We’re committed to doing this as quickly as possible,” LaGrange said.
A recent report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that the number of family doctors per 100,000 people in Alberta has been declining since 2017, to 119 from 130.
LaGrange noted that the province anticipates more population growth this year, but Alberta is attracting new doctors.
“From March last year to March this year, we’ve had 500 doctors come, and 215 of them are actually family doctors or rural generalists, so that’s good news,” he said.
In a news release, Alberta NDP health critic Luanne Metz accused the province of withholding more funding for doctors who, often for legitimate reasons, take on a lower caseload of patients.
“Annoying doctors is not a way to encourage them to stay in Alberta,” Metz said.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
