Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to soon kick in

With government’s recent announcement that public sector employees will be receiving their maximum cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), the COLA adjustment for BC physicians for 2023/2024 will also be paid out at its maximum level. This means, as of April 1, 2023, an additional 1.25% increase will be applied across-the-board to all MSP fees, and all rates and ranges for Service Contracts, Salary Agreements, and Sessional Contracts. This is on top of the other PMA increases that apply to these rates.

The Memorandum of Agreement on increases for non-PMA contracts also sets out how general increases and the PMA COLA apply to:

• Group contract for family physicians
• New to Practice Contract
• Population Based funding Contract
• LFP Payment model
• Provincial Anesthesia Contract

In all cases, the COLA payout is 1.25% in addition to the general increases for 2023/2024 – exactly the same as for the PMA.

We will be working with the Ministry of Health to implement these as soon as possible. We don’t anticipate this will be ready by April 1^st, but we do expect this to be ready in a few months, with retroactive payments back to April 1^st.

Please note, with regard to the LFP Payment Model, the parties will meet shortly and determine to which LFP payments the COLA increase should apply – hourly rates, encounter rates, or panel payments.

The COLA is based on the annualized average of the BC Consumer Price Index (CPI) during the previous 12-month period of March to February, and is capped at 1.25%.

If you have any questions, please contact: View Email Addressnegotiations@doctorsofbc.ca.