Physician eligibility criteria
Eligibility
While eligible healthcare settings will now include places like hospitals, physicians must still cover some or all costs associated with renting, leasing, or owning a community-based office where they see patients in person.
- The community-based office must be located in one of the following eligible geographical locations: Vancouver, Victoria, Greater Vancouver, Greater Victoria, and other communities not receiving Rural Retention Program (RRP) benefits.
- The physician must be entitled to receive and retain payment for the eligible fees directly from the Medical Services Plan (e.g. payments assigned to Health Authorities do not qualify for the premium).
- The physician must be attached to a valid BCP/MSP Facility Number, and the location where the service is provided has a valid BCP/MSP Facility Number for the service date.
Physicians are not eligible under the following conditions
- Physicians receiving RRP benefits are not eligible for the BCP, regardless of whether the service was provided in a healthcare setting within a BCP-eligible geographical location. RRP physicians may be eligible to receive the Rural Business Cost Modifier (RCBM) premium for their rural community-based office.
- The BCP does not apply to claims compensated by other payment models, such as the Alternative Payments Program (APP) or the Longitudinal Family Payment (LFP) model. Eligible claims not covered under other payment models may be covered under the BCP.
- The BCP does not apply to form fees or primary health program payments such as the Provincial Attachment System (PAS) and Community Longitudinal Family Physician (CLFP) payments.
- The BCP will not apply to radiology, anesthesiology, pathology, and nuclear medicine fees for services delivered in or for Agency facilities.
Preparing and registering
Please note that if you are already registered for the BCP under the 2019 PMA rules, you are not required to register again.
EMR Preparation
Consult your EMR vendor to ensure that the BCP/MSP Facility Number and the applicable Service Location Code (SLC) can be entered on all MSP claims. These are mandatory requirements to receive the BCP.
If you already receive the BCP under the 2019 PMA rules, confirm with your vendor that the MSP/BCP Facility Number and applicable SLC’s can be entered on all MSP claims beyond Consultation, Visit, Counselling, and Complete Examinations.
Registering for the BCP
Step 1: Obtain a BCP/MSP Facility Number for your community-based office
The physician responsible for administration of an eligible community-based office (the “Facility Administrator”) must apply for an MSP/BCP Facility Number by submitting the form linked below. Ensure to check the box on the form to request the BCP be applied to eligible fees paid to eligible physicians attached to that facility.
Notes:
- Only one MSP/BCP Facility Number is assigned per community-based office, regardless of the number of physicians working there. Before submitting an application, confirm if a BCP/MSP Facility Number has already been issued for your location if you work with other physicians or administrators in your office.
- Diagnostic facilities should also apply for a BCP/MSP Facility Number. If the physician’s claim is submitted with the mandatory Diagnostic facility number, the program will search to see if the physician is attached to a BCP/MSP Facility Number and pay the BCP accordingly.
- The “effective date” is the date the office originally opened at its current location.
- If you are the Facility Administrator at multiple eligible locations, a BCP/MSP Facility Number application must be submitted for each distinct physical location.
- A BCP/MSP Facility Number must be obtained prior to submitting the Physician Attachment form, as this information is required for the form.
Step 2: Attach a physician to a community-based office
Once your community-based office has been assigned an MSP/BCP facility number, you can complete the Physician Attachment form to officially attach yourself to your office and its MSP/BCP Facility Number. This step is crucial, as while the MSP/BCP facility number will serve as an identifier on the billing claim, HIBC will verify that the physician is attached to a community-based office in an eligible geographical location.
Notes:
- If you practice at multiple eligible offices, you must complete a Practitioner Attachment form for each distinct location.
Application to attach a Practitioner to an MSP Facility Number for the BCP
BCP calculations and payments
Eligible physicians will receive BCP payments for eligible MSP claims with a service date on or after April 1, 2025, calculated based on the highest percentage and daily maximum among all eligible facilities they are affiliated with. This applies regardless of the location where the service is provided.
The following BCP percentage values and daily maximum amounts are based on the eligible fees and geographical location of the attached physician’s community-based office:
- City of Vancouver: 5% up to a daily maximum of $60 per day per physician
- Metro Vancouver and Greater Victoria: 4% up to a maximum $48 per day per physician
- Other communities (outside Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria) not eligible for the Rural Retention Premiums: 3% up to a maximum $36 per day per physician
The BCP will be paid to the maximum on whichever eligible claims are received first, regardless of the facility or payee number. If the physician reaches their daily maximum, the BCP will not be paid on subsequent claims for that date of service. The MSP claims system will apply the percentage for the premium to BCP-eligible claims and calculate the daily maximum based on the facilities to which the physician is attached.
Submitting claims
Before submitting your billing claims, physicians should ensure the following steps are completed:
- Your community-based office is registered with MSP/HIBC and has obtained a valid BCP/MSP Facility Number. This is done through “Step 1 - Obtain an MSP Facility Number for your community-based office” outlined above.
- You are successfully attached to a BCP/MSP Facility Number as of the date of service. This is done through “Step 2: Attach a physician to a community-based office” outlined above.
Billing claim requirements:
- A valid BCP/MSP Facility Number from where the service took place is required on all claims. If the service took place in a healthcare setting without a valid BCP/MSP Facility Number, use your valid community-based office BCP/MSP Facility Number.
- Service Location Codes (SLCs) are mandatory requirements for BCP payment. The SLC data field must be populated on each MSP billing claim.
- If the fee item is a restricted diagnostic modality (diagnostic radiology, diagnostic ultrasound, EEG, etc.) the valid Diagnostic Facility Number must be entered instead of the MSP Facility Number.
Eligible BCP claims must be submitted via Teleplan, with the following exception:
Medical Practitioners who submit claims for fewer than 2,400 services per year and earn less than $72,000 annually in fee-for-service payments, and who do not submit claims to MSP via Teleplan, can submit claims for the BCP using the updated MSP Pay Practitioner Claim form (HLTH 1915) or the MSP Pay Patient Claim form (HLTH 1916).
Changing registration details
- If a physician no longer works at an office where they are attached to receive the BCP, they must submit a Cancel or Change Details form to remove their attachment from the office’s BCP/MSP Facility Number.
Application to cancel or change details for facilities with an MSP Facility Number
- If the office or facility details change after the application for a BCP/MSP Facility Number has been submitted, (e.g., location or postal code), the Office/Facility Administrator must submit the Cancel or Change Details form to cancel or change the details of a facility.
Application to cancel or change details for facilities with an MSP Facility Number
Technical support
Health Insurance BC (HIBC) administers the BCP and processes the applications on behalf of MSP. Please contact HIBC directly with questions relating to the following:
- Technical support, including application submission and registration confirmation.
- BCP payment details or information, or missing BCP payments.
HIBC has dedicated support for the BCP, so please follow the prompts for the “Business Cost Premium” when phoning.
Vancouver: 604 456-6950
Elsewhere in BC: 1 866 456-6950
Note: As HIBC administers and disburses the BCP payments on behalf of MSP, Doctors of BC does not have access to physician registration or payment information related to individual physicians or groups.
FAQs
Eligibility and ownership
- What qualifies as ownership costs?
Examples of ownership costs include mortgage, utilities, property taxes, etc.
- Is a home office eligible for the BCP?
A home office is eligible for BCP, as long the eligibility criteria are met, and you see patients in person and not only by telehealth.
- Are walk-in clinics eligible for the BCP?
Yes, if the walk-in clinic is in an eligible geographical location, and you are an eligible physician paying towards the lease, rent, or ownership costs of the clinic.
There are multiple physicians working in a group clinic, with some paying towards business expenses and others who are not. How does that work?
Only the physicians who pay towards the rent, lease, or ownership costs of an eligible office would qualify for the BCP.
- I work in a clinic but do not own it, do I qualify?
Yes, if it is an eligible clinic and you pay towards the lease, rent, or ownership costs.
BCP information for locums
- I am working as a locum, do I qualify?
Yes, if you work in a clinic that qualifies and part of your agreement is to cover some of the lease, rent, or ownership costs. The payment will be paid to the Payee number you have assigned on the Assignment of Payment form. The payment should be distributed between the host physician/clinic and locum, as per your agreement.
- If I provide locum services in two different clinics on the same day, how will the BCP be paid?
The BCP may be paid on multiple facility numbers. The BCP daily maximum though is based on an individual practitioner. The BCP will be paid to a practitioner maximum on whichever eligible claims are received first, regardless of facility or payee number. If the maximum is reached on the first clinic’s claims, then no BCP is paid to the second clinic. However, if the maximum is not reached for the first clinic, the remaining amount will be paid to the second clinic.
- Many locums complete an Assignment of Payment (AOP) form with a one-year time range, so that they don’t need to complete a new AOP each time they provide locum services at that clinic. Are precise dates required for the BCP form, or can locums do the same without impacting billing?
No, precise dates are not needed for locums, they can put in the same dates as their AOP. If circumstances change and the physician cancels their AOP, they should update their registration on the APPLICATION TO CANCEL OR CHANGE DETAILS FOR FACILITIES WITH AN MSP FACILITY NUMBER form.
- When working as a locum, can I apply online for the BCP and Assignment of Payment at the same time?
Not currently. These are two separate forms. Practitioner attachment for the BCP can be completed online using a new electronic form, while the existing Assignment of Payment form must be submitted by Canada Post or fax.
Registering and applying for the BCP
- I received an error message saying the information on my application does not match MSP records. What does this mean?
This most likely means you have entered your Payee number in the MSP Practitioner Number field instead of your personal MSP Practitioner number.
- The Application for MSP Facility Number asks for the Facility Effective Date. What is this?
This is the date the clinic/office originally opened at its current location. If you don’t know this date, please use April 1, 2020.
- Who do I call if I experience technical difficulties with an application form?
You can call the HIBC Practitioner number for technical assistance with a form:
- Vancouver: (604) 456-6950
- Elsewhere in BC: 1-866-456-6950
- What if I practice at more than one office?
If you practice at more than one eligible office (e.g. two offices) and pay towards the lease, rent, or ownership costs at both places, then you would be eligible for the BCP whenever you provide eligible services at either location. You must complete the Practitioner attachment for each unique eligible office.
- What if I no longer work at an office where I am attached to a BCP Facility Number?
To change physician attachment details, the Facility Administrator must submit the “Application to Cancel or Change Details for Facilities with an MSP Facility Number” form to HIBC.
Premium: How will the BCP be paid?
- Where will my payment notification show up?
It will show up as a Level 1 adjustment on your remittance statement.
- Can facility owners retain the entirety of the BCP?
The BCP is an MSP payment, and the sharing between physicians and clinic owners should be based on your current agreement regarding overhead costs, unless you agree to an alternative arrangement. The PMA clearly states that the BCP is for physicians, and therefore clinic owners cannot automatically retain the entirety of the BCP.
- Is the daily maximum per physician per location?
No, the daily maximum is per physician per day across all locations or facilities.
Additional BCP questions: EMR and claims submission
- What information is required on my billing claim to receive the BCP?
BCP Facility Number
- Service Location Code – please note: these have changed effective April 1, 2021
Any of the following Service Location Codes are acceptable: - (B) Community Health Centre
- (D) Diagnostic Facility
- (F) Private Medical/Surgical Facility
- K) Hybrid Primary Care Practice
- (J) First Nations Primary Health Care Clinic
- (L) Longitudinal Primary Care Practice
- (M) Mental Health Centre
- (Q) Specialist Physician Office
- (T) Practitioner's Office - In Publicly Administered Facility
- (U) Urgent and Primary Care Centre
- (V) Virtual Care Clinic
- (W) Walk-In Clinic
- Service Location Code – please note: these have changed effective April 1, 2021
- What if I submit a procedure fee with the BCP facility number on my billing claim in error? Or, what if I submit all my claims that are a mix of eligible and non-eligible fees with a BCP facility number?
The claims system will be programmed to only apply the BCP to the eligible fee items submitted by eligible physicians. If you submit a non-BCP fee item, the system will process your claims in the usual manner and will not apply the premium.
- What happens if I submit a claim with a facility number and I have not registered my practitioner attachment to the facility?
The claim will be refused, with an explanation that the practitioner has not been attached to the facility number.
- Need more support with BCP?
Health Insurance BC (HIBC) administers the BCP and processes the applications on behalf of MSP. For technical support, including application submission, and registration confirmation, please contact HIBC at the phone numbers listed below. HIBC has dedicated support for the BCP, so please follow the prompts for the “Business Cost Premium” when phoning.
Vancouver: 604 456-6950
Elsewhere in BC: 1 866 456-6950