BC doctors upset over delayed fee increase payments

Doctors in BC say they’re still waiting to get paid agreed-upon fee increases. The province says both the Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC “are undertaking a multi-step process per the terms of the PMA to allocate the funding to individual physician fees. Approval on the allocations is expected soon.” However, the situation is not sitting well with many physicians. The delay is causing frustration for doctors who are already under financial stress. “It definitely doesn’t bode well. The (Physician) Master Agreement and the negotiated (Longitudinal Family Physician) agreement were really trying to help make sure that medicine in British Columbia — both family practice and specialty care — is something that everyone wants to do and is sustainable, and this is definitely a step in the wrong direction,” Doctors of BC President Dr Joshua Greggain said Friday.