February 15, 2024

Recorded presentation about LFP facility-based care

Doctors of BC and BC Family Doctors continue to work with the Ministry of Health to improve the Longitudinal Family Physician (LFP) Payment Model. We continue to listen to your feedback and make payment model changes to address your concerns. To submit questions or feedback, please email FP.Billing@doctorsofbc.ca.

In this newsletter, we are providing information on the following:

• Recorded presentation now available about the LFP Payment Model facility-based care.
• Update on 30% limit on Non-panel Services.
• LFP Payment Model in the news. 

LFP Payment Model facility-based care explained:
on-demand recorded presentation available

We are happy to share more information about how facility-based care is being incorporated into the LFP Payment Model. We have created an on-demand recorded presentation that shares information about eligibility, time codes, interaction codes, the Rural Retention Program (RRP) Premium, and on call/availability payments for LFP facility-based care. 

We believe this pre-recorded format will provide a better mechanism for you to view the content at your convenience. You can also find information on the BC Family Doctors’ website and Doctors of BC’s website. 

There are four areas of facility-based care that are being included in this next phase of improvements to the LFP Payment Model: inpatient care, maternity care in hospital, long-term care, and palliative facility care. Family physicians will be able to begin billing under the LFP Payment Model for care in these facility-based settings in June.

In the coming weeks, we will be sharing more detailed information with you on the evolution of Family Practice Services Committee’s (FPSC) current funding in facility-based care and the new on-call/availability payments. These changes to FPSC supports were developed in parallel with the development of the facility-based elements of the LFP Payment Model.  

30% Limit on Non-panel Services

Under the LFP Payment Model, services for non-panel patients cannot be more than 30% of the total services provided. There is currently a transition period named in the payment schedule, enabling physicians time to meet this requirement if they submit a Transition Code (98001). That transition period ends March 31, 2024. 

We have heard from physicians in a variety of practice types that they need additional time to transition their practice or that their community needs them to provide a higher amount of specialized/consultative/episodic care services. 

We have reached agreement with the Ministry to develop a process that allows physicians to identify their need for a higher proportion of non-panel services and provide exceptions to the 30% limit when appropriate. 

We expect that we will have more information about the exception process by early March.

The LFP Payment Model in the news

There has been some great coverage recently celebrating the one-year anniversary of the LFP Payment Model. Learn more: 

• CBC: New payment model has brought more family physicians to B.C., doctors say
• CBC Vancouver: New Payment Model brings more family doctors to BC

Doctors of BC’s President Dr Ahmer Karimuddin also attended a recent update with the Ministry of Health on the LFP Payment Model and the Provincial Attachment System. Watch the CTV news coverage. 

Need more information?

Write us

Email: FP.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)