Alternative Payments

As part of the 2025 Physician Main Agreement (PMA), $100.2 million in new funding has been provided to increase the payment ranges for eligible physicians working under Service Contracts and Salary Agreements within the PMA framework. The goal of this funding is to help attract and retain physicians in these roles and to reduce pay differences among physicians working in different practice categories.

The 2025 Allocation Committee, a joint committee of Doctors of BC and the government, will determine how this funding is allocated across the Payment Ranges.

To inform this process, physicians, physician groups, and Sections are invited to submit proposals on how these funds should be allocated. Physicians with similar practice types are encouraged to coordinate and, where appropriate, submit a group application.

Proposals must be submitted by September 20, 2026, either by:

• Emailing the fillable Allocation Committee Submission form to negotiations@doctorsofbc.ca.
• Using an online web form, which will be available by the end of August.

Submissions should provide relevant information and evidence on issues within the Allocation Committee's mandate, including disparities between Payment Ranges and other factors affecting the recruitment and retention of physicians working under Service Contracts and Salary Agreements. 

The Alternative Payment Physicians Issues Committee and the Allocation Committee have identified principles and processes to inform their positions in discussions with government. Further information on the Allocation Committee’s mandate, background information on alternative payments, recruitment and retention considerations, the processes the Doctors of BC members of the Allocation Committee will follow, and the principles that will inform its decisions is available in the Allocation Committee Advice and Guidance Document.

As part of the 2025 Physician Main Agreement (PMA) negotiations, the government committed to providing new funding to increase Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) to address workload pressures experienced by physicians working under existing Service Contracts and Salary Agreements within the PMA framework. 

The PMA includes a process for physicians who have experienced significant and sustained increases in workload to seek funding to add new FTEs. As part of this process, the government has prepared an application for physicians to use when submitting proposals for new funding as well as a document providing advice and guidance for physicians submitting proposals.

• Workload Funding Application Form
• Workload Funding Advice and Guidance Document

To apply for 2026/27 workload funding, physicians must submit their proposals to their Health Authority by July 29, 2026.
 

In August, the Government announced its Workload Funding Process decisions for 2024/25 for Service Contracted and Salaried Physicians experiencing significant and sustained increases in workload.

In total, 96 applications requesting funding for 269.6 FTEs were submitted by Physicians.

Pursuant to the processes outlined in the 2022 Alternative Payments Subsidiary Agreement, the Government has allocated $42.4 million dollars to support 103.2 new FTEs. 80 of the 96 applicants received additional funding through the Workload Funding process this year.

Future Workload Funding processes will be determined as part of the 2025 PMA Negotiations.

The 2022 PMA provided Service Contracted and Salaried Physicians with General Increases, Cost of Living Increases and, if applicable, Allocation Committee Increases.

The 2022 PMA General Increases were applied to the Payment Ranges on an equal dollar per FTE basis, based on 3.0% for 2022/23, 2.0% for 2023/24, and 1.0% for 2024/25. The equal dollar increases for the Service Contract Payment Ranges and Salary Agreement Payment Ranges are as follows:

The Cost of Living Increases are applied on an across the board basis to all of the Payment Ranges. The Cost of Living Increases are 1.25% and 1.0% in 2023/24 and 2024/25, respectively.

The General Increases for 2022/23 and 2023/24 as well as the Cost of Living increase for 2023/24 were applied on an interim basis pending the conclusion of the Allocation Committee on further targeted increases.

The Allocation Committee, a joint committee of Doctors of BC and Government representatives, reached an agreement on the allocation of $31.2 million over the three years of the PMA to address issues of disparity between the different practice categories and the increased cost of business. Read the consensus decision of the Allocation Committee describing the agreement and increases for details.

The adjusted Service Contract and Salary Agreement Payment Ranges, inclusive of General Increases, Cost of Living Increases and Allocation Committee increases, are found below:

April 1, 2022/23 Final Service Contract Payment Ranges

April 1, 2022/23 Final Salary Agreement Payment Ranges

April 1, 2023/24 Final Service Contract Payment Ranges

April 1, 2023/24 Final Salary Agreement Payment Ranges

April 1, 2024/25 Final Service Contract Payment Ranges

April 1, 2024/25 Final Salary Agreement Payment Ranges

The 2022 PMA provided a total of $128.75 Million to fund additional full-time equivalents of Physician Services (the FTEs) to address workload pressures of Physicians on Service Contracts or Salary Agreements. This funding was released over two years. The outcome of the funding process resulted in a decision in November 2023 to allocate the first $86.35 Million for the 2023/24 fiscal year, and in August 2024 the remaining $42.4 Million was allocated for the 2024/25 fiscal year, thereby fully allocating the $128.75 Million provided for in the 2022 PMA.

Future Workload Funding Processes will be determined under the 2025 PMA.

2023/24 Workload Funding Allocation Summary

2022 PMA Workload funding application 2023/23

2021 The Practice Category Settlement Agreement Consensus Decision

2021 Report of the Chair of the Allocation Committee (Eric J. Harris Q.C.)

2021/22 Workload Funding Allocation Summary

2020/21 Workload Funding Allocation Summary

2020 After Hours Adjudication Decision

2019-2022 Consensus Decision of the Allocation Committee

2019 PMA Workload funding application 2021/22

2019 PMA Workload funding advice 2021/22

2017 Allocation Committee Consensus Decision (Residual)—February 25, 2019

2017 Allocation Committee Consensus Decision—April 30, 2018
(Range Adjustments for 2018/19)

2021/22 Service Contract Range
2021/22 Salary Agreement Ranges

2020/21 Service Contract Range
2020/21 Salary Agreement Ranges

February 1, 2019 Service Contract Ranges
February 1, 2019 Salary Agreement Ranges

2018/19 Service Contract Ranges
2018/19 Salary Agreement Ranges

February 1, 2018 Service Contract Ranges
February 1, 2018 Salary Agreement Ranges

2017/18 Service Contract Ranges 
2017/18 Salary Agreement Ranges