The provincial Green Party says an “outdated payment model” is partially to blame for what it calls a family doctor crisis in British Columbia. Leader Sonia Furstenau called Wednesday for immediate action from the governing NDP, saying hundreds of thousands of residents in the province are currently without a doctor. She said estimates of doctor-less residents range from 750,000 to 900,000, and that the shortage of doctors is expected to get worse. She blamed the shortage on how B.C. doctors are paid, and said “administrative” barriers need to be removed to keep doctors in their communities. ”The billing model is very outdated and does not provide the stability needed for good medical care,” the leader and MLA said at a news conference. “Doctors are basically running a small business instead of putting their focus into caring for their community members.”
That so-called outdated billing model is essentially that most doctors receive payment for the services they provide, meaning the more patients they see in a day, the more money they make. In cities like Vancouver – the country’s priciest real estate and rental market – the fee-for-service model can encourage doctors to speed through visits. For patients, it means they’re typically only permitted to discuss one issue per visit. The model has been in place in the province for decades, and some experts say it hasn’t adapted well to changing demographics and the desires of doctors. Source: bc.ctvnews.ca
Saturday, April 25, 2026
