B.C. family doctors can bill for phone consultations as part of new $132 million plan

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      A $22-million initiative has been launched in an effort to give patients across the province the opportunity to consult with their family doctors by phone instead of visiting in person.

      The funding is part of a new $132.4-million program aimed at improving primary care that the B.C. Ministry of Health and the B.C. Medical Association announced today (February 22).

      The telephone-consultation initiative will provide physicians with $15 for each call and allow them to bill for up to 500 sessions each year. Other elements of the program are $40 million to improve primary care in local communities and $31.9 million to support the care family physicians provide to patients already in hospital.

      The General Practice Service Committee, a partnership of the B.C. Ministry of Health and the B.C. Medical Association, is funding the program.

      Comments

      4 Comments

      Rudy Haugeneder

      Feb 22, 2013 at 6:46pm

      Great. Now I can have a prostate examine using a telephone.
      The average doctor only spends about five minutes with a patient, and gets paid for a face-to-face-call. Will telephone bills be just as high and will the audio visit be just as short -- and, no doubt, just as theoretical when it comes to diagnosis of any problem?
      Actually, I can't wait for artificial intelligence and robots to replace half the doctors and other medical professionals we, the public, have to deal with.

      foxxe wilder

      Feb 22, 2013 at 7:32pm

      When was the last time ANYONE successfully got an actual DOCTOR on the phone anyways? I don't think anyone has a valid reason for fearing this one.

      iSheep

      Feb 23, 2013 at 3:14pm

      The Medical profession especially the College of Physicians needs to be forcefully brought into the 21st Century...

      * Enough of this scam keeping the numbers of Doctors artificial LOW by not recognizing highly trained Medical Doctors from well respected Foreign Countries (mostly Western).

      * If Foreign Qualified Doctors can be given a chance to work under the supervision of Canadian Doctors + pass a few Certifications over 2-3 years they should be given a License to Practise here.

      * Physicians from well known EU Countries should be recognized here and Certified By the BC College of Physicians.

      * If Canada can give Work Visas & Residency to Nannys from the the Third World than recruiting & Certifying Doctors from India & China should be straight forward.

      * Currently Plane Loads of Canadians go for Serious Medical Procedures to India, China & Mexico to name a few Countries most are successfully treated.

      * Surely Certifying those Doctors under a proper process would bring more highly skilled professionals here to address the dire SHORTAGE of Doctors in BC & Canada.

      Finally no one should rely on a diagnosis from any Physician for any illness without verifiable DATA & Scientific Tests.

      I don't care how many years someone has been a Doctor get a Medical Screen via Blood and/or Tissue tests for a proper SCIENTIFIC DIAGNOSIS!

      Do NOT take a 5 - 10 minute fucking verbal diagnosis from any medical Doctor based upon a very brief 'LOOK' via fucking EYEBALLs of a Doctor, Sheesh.

      Get a proper Medical Diagnosis via Body Fluid / Empirical Tests (Scans etc) based on empirical Scientific Tests, not some Doctors fucking words.

      i people

      Feb 24, 2013 at 9:39am

      The general public especially the sheeples needs to be forcefully brought into the 21st Century...

      Who in their right mind is going to suffer through to be an MD when a Latvian high-school dropout makes more bouncing a ball or trading stocks...

      The back up goalie for the Canucks makes more in 10 months than my GP in 20 years

      My b-in-law as a new securities lawyer makes more than my GP with 8 years of school and 25 years of experience.

      Should I go on

      There's enough money for a new roof on the dome but no soup for you.

      Keep shoving that fast-food in your pieholes people; there's no magic in medicine