February 17, 2023

Important updates on the LFP Payment Model

The purpose of this newsletter is to provide the latest updates on the implementation of the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model. We are continuing to listen to your feedback, working and meeting regularly with the provincial government to address your concerns. Below is updated information. To submit questions or feedback on the payment model, please email LFP.Billing@doctorsofbc.ca.

We are pleased to report that since the launch of the LFP Payment Model on February 1, a total of 1,686 family physicians have enrolled. This represents physicians from across all the health regions of our province.

Doctors of BC and BC Family Doctors have heard concerns from a number of physicians about areas not yet included in the payment model, such as facility based long-term care, in-patient, and maternity. The rapid development of this model was focused on stabilizing core clinic based longitudinal care practice. The next phases of work will be focused on developing proposals for expansion of the model to facility-based settings, addressing the needs of rural physicians, and supporting team-based care. We are also looking at adjustments to address the unique needs of physicians practicing in remote and Indigenous communities. At the same time, we will be working with government to develop a new system for managing attachment (rostering).

Thank you for your ongoing feedback. We will continue to listen to you and consider your input in our discussions with government as the model continues to evolve.

Locum physicians

One of the urgent questions we have been getting from physicians is: “When will locums be able to start billing under the payment model?” Knowing this, the partners have accelerated the work, to ensure that locum registration will be available by March 13.

Once that is in place, locums who provide coverage for a family physician being paid under the LFP Payment Model, will also be able to bill under the payment model. In providing locum coverage, physicians will bill for time spent providing patient care (time codes) and patient interactions (patient interaction codes); however, they will not receive a panel payment.

When locum physicians provide coverage for a longer period of time, such as parental leave, we recommend that locums and host physicians discuss adjusting compensation to recognize the longer-term commitment to the patient panel.

Update on definition of “active patient”

Physicians are asking for clarification of what constitutes an ‘active patient’. We have discussed this with government, and are working toward a clear definition, and how we can support physicians to generate their patient panel lists. Watch for more information soon.

Team-based care

In response to your concerns, we are continuing conversations about how this payment model can better support team-based care, including minor procedures and diagnostic tests. We recognize the importance of strong team-based care supports in primary care and hope to communicate an update soon.

In the meantime, patient care provided by non-physicians (e.g., nurses, nurse practitioners, allied care providers, non-clinical staff) is not payable under the LFP Payment Model. However, a physician may bill 98011 for indirect patient care time when doing the following items related to working with non-physician team members:

Care coordination and planning; and
Communicating, conferencing, and meeting with other physicians and/or other health professionals.

Practice resources

Given there are many options for doctors to consider as they transition to the LFP Payment Model, Business Pathways has created a new tip sheet, LFP Payment Model: Top six things to get you started, to help identify and clarify these options.

Answers to your questions

We continue to receive a high volume of questions from you, as you learn about the new payment model and consider if enrolling is right for you. BC Family Doctors continues to create and update billing resources in response to your detailed questions. This includes a one-page cheat sheet about patient interaction codes that is available to all physicians to help guide your daily billing under the LFP Payment Model. The BC Family Doctors website also provides an interactive Simplified LFP Guide with clear, plain-language information based on the LFP Payment Schedule.

Here are responses to some your most frequent questions (BC Family Doctors member login required):

Physicians have been asking if there is a difference between the information found on the Doctors of BC website and BC Family Doctors website (login required for both). The short answer is yes. The Doctors of BC website provides general information about the new payment model, how it works, and includes some more general billing questions. BC Family Doctors is the organization that has always provided detailed information on all kinds of billing and payment methods. Its Billing Question Library has more than 100 LFP billing questions and hundreds of fee-for-service questions – from billing for periodic health examinations to payment for ICBC/WorkSafeBC services provided at the same visit.

We encourage physicians who are considering, or who are already enrolled in, the LFP Payment Model to check the BC Family Doctors website on a regular basis. If you are not yet a member, you can join at any time.

Need more information?

Write us

Email: LFP.Billing@doctorsofbc.ca

View our information online (member login required)

Doctors of BC: doctorsofbc.ca/new-payment-model
BC Family Doctors: https://bcfamilydocs.ca/lfp-payment-model/
BC Government website: gov.bc.ca/MSP/LFP (login not required)