Implementation update: Business Cost Premium and Evening Operative Surcharges Fee

The Business Cost Premium (BCP) is a negotiated payment under the Physician Master Agreement (PMA) to help eligible physicians cover rising rent, lease, or ownership costs of a community-based office. As outlined in the 2022 PMA, the BCP is expanding and will apply to all fees for services provided by eligible physicians, regardless of the healthcare setting in which the services are delivered. While these changes were anticipated to take effect in July 2023, implementation will be delayed until late 2023 or early 2024 due to various technical challenges that Health Insurance BC (HIBC), the administrator of MSP payments, is facing. On top of making progress on the various compensation-related changes stemming from the 2022 PMA, HIBC is also currently transitioning to a new service provider to manage and deliver HIBC Services, the scope of which is extensive and technically complex.

The BCP is a percentage premium on MSP fees currently limited to Consultation, Visit, Counselling, and Complete Examination services, when performed in specific geographical locations. Expanding the list of eligible MSP fees and healthcare settings where services are delivered means more services and more physicians will have access to the BCP.

Doctors of BC and MSP are actively seeking an alternative implementation plan that would allow the BCP to be paid according to the requirements of the PMA. This would see the BCP improvements paid out retroactive to April 1, 2023, potentially in installments.

Also negotiated under the 2022 PMA, the Evening Operative Surcharges Fee (fee code 01210) was to be amended on April 1, 2023 so that the evening surcharge is billable after 6:00pm, even if the surgery began prior to that time. Implementation of this change will also be delayed, likely for several months, due to limitations of the Teleplan/HIBC system that supports MSP billing. Doctors of BC will be working with MSP on a process for physicians to back bill for these services once the change has been implemented.

Questions? Please email View Email Addresseconomics@doctorsofbc.ca. For more information on the BCP, visit our Business Cost Premium webpage.

We will continue to keep you updated as further information becomes available.