Stabilization on the table, three things you need to do

November 29, 2023

Dear Members,

In the time frame of Budget 2024, Minister LaGrange has committed to stabilization and restoration of family medicine and rural generalist care. The AMA has put the first stake in the ground with a proposal for immediate financial stabilization of primary care. The Strike Team has identified three priorities for stabilization:

• An immediate lump sum payment providing significant financial relief for practices.
• An ongoing panel-based incentivization strategy to encourage retention of physicians in longitudinal practice, thereby bridging the gap until a new funding model is available.
• Addressing other environmental factors that are contributing to the sense of destabilization.

We are swiftly developing two further proposals for the minister in the next few weeks:

• Core elements of a new payment model to support longitudinal family practice and other existing model improvements, including costing and budget.
• Steps required to reduce administrative burden.

Things are moving fast. Please stay informed and take three steps:

1. Visit our Strike Team web page (member login required).
2. Sign up for alerts because we regularly add information to this page. Email striketeam@albertadoctors.org.
3. Save the date for upcoming evening virtual town halls, which will be focused on primary care but open to all members:

• December 14 - rural generalist focus
• December 20 - family physician focus

Acute, hospital and community specialists who are also facing significant issues should know we are advocating for you also. We are staking out an approach to stabilize this sector, bringing together many issues that have languished without resolution for years and have collided in the proverbial perfect storm. I will provide further updates soon.

Regards,

Paul Parks
President, Alberta Medical Association