Sask. doctor warns about Calgary medical clinic fee: ‘It would dramatically worsen access’ | 24CA News
An Alberta medical clinic’s price construction has a Saskatchewan household physician elevating a pink flag on what he fears may very well be coming to the province.
Dr. Adam Ogieglo practices in Saskatoon and stated household medical doctors who’re stretched to the restrict are on the lookout for options to make working situations extra cheap, however he doesn’t see a user-pay mannequin as the reply.
The Marda Loop Medical Clinic in Calgary has knowledgeable sufferers by e mail that beginning on Tuesday, it should nonetheless see sufferers totally free sooner or later per week, however the different 4 days will probably be devoted to sufferers who pay annual membership charges equivalent to $2,200 for a person and $4,800 for a household.
For the cash, the clinic guarantees quicker entry to the clinic doctor, together with different perks and providers together with prolonged classes, at-home blood checks and reductions on associated providers equivalent to physiotherapy.
“I think this is maybe a swing and a miss,” Ogieglo stated.
He stated this sort of pay construction, if it have been to realize traction, would swamp emergency rooms rather more than they already are.
“It would dramatically worsen access for everybody.”
Ogieglo stated he can solely converse for himself, however he doesn’t see household medical doctors actively eager to filter out their observe based mostly on who can afford an annual subscription price.
“We need solutions to the primary care crisis and you’re going to see people get creative and bring in solutions like this.”
He stated the choice the clinic in Calgary introduced in does save them from messy discussions with the federal government and negotiations over price constructions.
“It’s a relatively easy thing to do, and frankly I’m a bit surprised that it hasn’t really happened more.”
Ogieglo did say this case was somewhat muddy although, noting the Canada Health Act says which you could’t cost for medically vital providers, however stated clinics can skirt round that by providing non-medically vital providers like entry to a dietician or a physiotherapist and bundling that with medically vital providers.
To give an instance of how this could have an effect on sufferers, Ogieglo stated if he have been to observe the identical cost construction because the clinic in Calgary he’d be capable of drop his affected person roster from 1,600 down to only 160.
“The accessibility for those who are able to pay would improve dramatically, but it’s at the cost of those who are not able to pay.”
He stated there’s nothing stopping this identical form of clinic construction from coming into Saskatchewan.
“The same working conditions that lead to this physician choosing to do that in Alberta exist in Saskatchewan. We’re still stuck within this fee-for-service payment scheme, which is badly outdated and needs to be changed urgently.”
He stated the present pay construction doesn’t make sense with an getting old inhabitants, extra complicated sufferers and extra paperwork, noting household physicians within the province don’t get reimbursed for that additional work.
Health Canada says charging sufferers a price to realize quicker entry to a household physician can be violating Medicare legal guidelines.
The federal company says it’s working with the province on this and says Alberta dangers dropping federal well being switch funds if it doesn’t do one thing about it.
In an announcement, Health Canada says the Marda Loop price plan equates to preferential entry to insured well being providers and, subsequently, violates the universality provisions of the Canada Health Act.
Fiona Clement, a professor who makes a speciality of well being coverage on the University of Calgary, stated there have been membership-type clinics since 2008.
“It’s not a new idea, it’s not only in Alberta. There are clinics like this across the country,” she stated.
Clement stated Alberta’s response will probably be key.
“(The fee plan) really isn’t in the spirit of the Canada Health Act, but technically it’s not illegal,” she stated. “It’s technically not a violation of the Canada Health Act, which is the federal government’s responsibility to enforce. It’s not a breach of ethics or professional practice, which is the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ responsibility to enforce on an individual physician level.”
The Saskatchewan authorities introduced again in May {that a} blended capitation mannequin for household medical doctors can be on its manner.
Doctors will be capable of get a base charge for the standard vary of providers for every affected person, however may also get further fee-for-service funds for additional providers.
Health Minister Paul Merriman stated in May that they hoped to have the brand new pay system in place inside 12 months.
Global News has reached out to the Ministry of Health for remark.
– with information from The Canadian Press
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