New Manitoba doctors contract makes virtual appointments permanent option

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This article was published 26/07/2023 (797 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Virtual doctors’ appointments — a staple of COVID-19 pandemic precaution — are on their way to becoming a permanent option in Manitoba.

A tentative four-year physicians services agreement reached last week paves the way for the provincial government to fully reimburse doctors for the time they spend on phone and video calls with patients. Previously, only in-person appointments were fully funded under the province’s tariff model.

Manitoba doctors are set to vote Aug. 1-14 on whether to ratify the agreement with the province. If approved, doctors offices can offer virtual visits permanently, where appropriate and preferable for patients.

The move aims to combat the rise of user-pay apps that have cropped up elsewhere, offering quick, online doctor consultations for a fee.

“From both a patient and physician perspective, what the government has agreed to is, indeed, good news. It will mean phone and video visits can continue in most situations as an alternative to in-person visits, assuming it is medically appropriate for the visit to be conducted virtually and the patient prefers this option,” Doctors Manitoba spokesman Keir Johnson stated, noting virtual visits still have to meet rigorous regulatory standards for medical care.

“The new physician services agreement will ensure virtual visits are funded as a permanent part of publicly insured health care in Manitoba, avoiding the patient-pay models that have popped up in other provinces when they cut back funding for virtual visits as part of making them permanent.”

Because the deal is pending ratification, a government spokesperson said Wednesday the province is limited in the details it can provide.

“Each province has taken a slightly different approach to making virtual tariffs permanent. Ontario, Alberta, B.C., and Nova Scotia have all moved forward to make the tariffs permanent, all with variations,” the spokesperson stated.

A Winnipeg company that’s developed an online network of 85 local physicians offering same-day virtual appointments says Manitoba has an opportunity to become a leader in publicly funded virtual health care.

QDoc.ca began operating in May 2022, with software developed the previous year. The company logs about 4,500 patients a month, and has plans to expand its virtual services.

Dr. Norm Silver, co-founder and chief executive officer, said he believes provincial leaders see the benefits of virtual care.

“There’s no question that this is the future, it’s just, how long are you going to wait to allow the future to happen?” said Silver, who has been a pediatrician in Manitoba for 22 years.

“In my opinion, this is going to be the standard way to access health care within 10 years. But whether we lead or we follow is the question — and I think right now, we’re positioned to lead.”

QDoc operates like a virtual clinic, with its business model based on doctors’ billings to provincial systems, so there is no charge for anyone with a provincial health card. It costs $90 per video-call visit for patients who don’t have a provincial health card, such as Quebec residents or international students.

Participating doctors sign up to take patient calls from the online queue whenever they have time. The goal is to provide timely medical care to under-served areas for patients who aren’t having a medical emergency but still need to see a doctor quickly, Silver said.

The online doctors can issue prescriptions, order lab tests and provide referrals, and in some cases, offer follow-up care.

“It’s not a lot of work per doc, but overall, it’s a lot of work provided,” Silver said, adding he hopes the service will help reduce overall wait times.

Apart from federal and provincial business grants, QDoc hasn’t received government funding to provide virtual care. Silver said it hopes to secure formal service agreements with regional health authorities and further expand.

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com