BARRHEAD - While all physicians would be affected by changes proposed in mid-November by the provincial government, the impact would be “a little bit skewed” towards rural doctors, according to the president of the Alberta Medical Association’s (AMA) Section of Rural Medicine.
Dr. Ed Aasman, who practices in Rocky Mountain House, said there are some big “ifs” around what the province has proposed in terms of changes to primary care, which is increasing the anxiety of rural physicians.
“We live in a time of uncertainty,” he said.
On Nov. 14, the government tabled a number of proposed changes to primary care and the way physicians would be compensated. They then asked the AMA for further input.
“The proposals would be devastating to rural family practice … a group that government in other venues purports to support,” the AMA stated on its website.
One of the major changes being proposed is a cut to complex modifier fees, ie. the compensation paid to physicians if they spend more than a certain amount of time with a patient.
Dr. Aasman posed the example of a patient coming into a clinic with a lot of issues that need to be addressed in a single visit. Doctor’s clinics are still businesses, and spending a lot of time with that patient would cut into a physician’s revenue.
Some physicians have calculated that this proposal could potentially result in a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in their overhead, he said.
Dr. Aasman said physicians are not opposed to having a look at this model, but there are still a lot of questions around what the province is proposing.
Another of the proposals that would particularly affect rural physicians is the compensation paid to rural physicians when on-call at hospitals.
Dr. Aasman pointed out that physicians still incur costs when their clinics are closed and the compensation paid to doctors helps keep their clinics open.
He noted that when physicians are on call, they dedicate themselves to that service and “restrain” themselves in terms of social activities to make sure they are available.
Dr. Aasman also expressed concern about the possible elimination of the Rural Remote Northern Program (RRNP), which provides financial incentives to physicians practicing in under-serviced areas.
The loss of that program will have an impact on the recruitment and retention of rural physicians in rural areas, he noted.
A letter posted to the AMA’s website states that a formal response to government on these changes is being drafted and was going to be shared to all members on De. 20.
Dr. Aasman noted they are trying to meet with rural MLAs in particular to make them aware of the situation.
As rural Alberta contributes 26 per cent of the province’s GDP, they are pulling their fair share of the province’s wealth, he said.
