We recently submitted responses to the provincial government during its 2027 budget consultation and special committee review of ICBC’s Enhanced Care model. These submissions are part of our ongoing advocacy on behalf of physicians, ensuring their expertise and perspectives are represented and help inform budget priorities and important health care and policy decisions.

2027 budget consultation

This annual consultation process provided an opportunity to share physician-informed priorities for the next provincial budget. In our submission, we put forward three recommendations (the maximum allowed) to address urgent health system priorities:

  1. Health system capacity: The province needs to prioritize increasing health system capacity to deliver care at the level the population requires, including restarting much-needed capital infrastructure projects and planning for appropriate health human resources.
  2. Specialist wait times: The province needs to implement the Specialist Waitlist Management Proposal and develop a centralized database to support data collection, as well as additional waitlist management mechanisms to address the 1.2 million BC residents waiting to see a specialist.
  3. Improve urgent rural medical transport: The province needs to establish specific supports to improve urgent medical transport for patients living in rural areas.

We believe strategic investments in these three areas can help address these challenges, ensure a more responsive, sustainable, and patient-centred health system, and advance the province’s commitments to improving access, equity, and health outcomes. Read the full submission.

ICBC’s Enhanced Care model consultation

This consultation sought input on changes made in 2020 to the Insurance (Vehicle) Act, which introduced a “no-fault” insurance model, also known as “Enhanced Care.” Our submission drew on input from the joint Doctors of BC and ICBC Liaison Working Group and recommends the following:

  1. Create appropriately compensated methods for specialists to share medical information with ICBC to address critical gaps that negatively impact patient outcomes.
  2. Introduce physician communications services that support timely verbal and written communication between ICBC and family physicians and specialists.
  3. Ensure patients with catastrophic injuries have access to benefits and compensation that align with their needs.

We believe these recommendations will help ensure that physicians can provide timely, high-quality care and that ICBC receive the medical information required to make informed decisions. Read the full submission.

Questions

If you have any questions about these submissions, please contact advocacy@doctorsofbc.ca.