- Most commonly used ARP in Alberta.
- Full-time and part-time physician participation is allowed.
- Physicians determine when and how program services will be delivered.
- The program must submit a proposed typical weekly clinic work/shift schedule as part of the application process.
Model Elements
Funding & Payments
- Clinical ARPs provide funding to physicians to deliver defined program services to a defined patient population at a defined site.
- Medically insured services outside the scope of the clinical ARP must be billed fee-for-service (FFS).
Program Services
- Each program needs to define the basket of service that will be in-scope for the practice. For example, a practice may decide low risk maternity and delivery are out-of-scope.
- Program services include both direct and indirect patient care.
- Program services do not include physician on-call availability. Only the actual time physicians spend delivering program services while on-call is funded.
- Program services include any out-of-province (medical reciprocal) patients.
Locum Services
- Locum services are included in the FTEs for the program and are paid out of the clinical ARP funding. The actual amount required to attract locums for a weekend or evening may be higher than the AH funding generated by the locum hours worked. Therefore, the difference would be considered an overhead expense that needs to be paid by ARP physicians.
- Urban practices are required to engage private locums.