Connect Care implementation

September 24, 2021

As part of the Connect Care implementation, access to myWCB will be integrated into Connect Care to allow physicians providing services in AHS facilities to submit electronic reporting to WCB-Alberta. This will remove the need for physicians to access WCB reporting outside of the Connect Care platform, and facilitate faster claim decisions for more timely patient care and quicker service payments. In order to facilitate this integration, WCB will be sharing WCB physician billing numbers with AHS.

Will the WCB reporting and billing be built into Connect Care so the physicians no longer need to login to WCB to complete the online form?

We’ll be proceeding with an optional workflow, meaning that physicians have a choice as to whether they use Connect Care (CC) or the WCB portal. This is because using CC also requires the physician to enter their billing codes (such as SOMB codes) into CC to use the automated interface. If physicians have concerns about privacy of financial information, they may enter information via Connect Care or the WCB portal for the WCB First Report/Progress Report and service codes. 

We encourage usage of the CC option, as this allows other members of the care team to review WCB documentation, both during the specific encounter, as well as for any subsequent visits. Further, if documented in CC, the WCB form can be printed and sent to your staff/third party biller, regardless of whether your choose to record service codes.

Currently doctors dictate, their staff transcribe and then it's sent to WCB. Is there transcription functionality in Connect Care that will be used to replace the existing process?

There is the option to dictate into CC, and there are other tools to help simplify the data input into Connect Care (known as ‘smart phrases’). A physician’s employee (such as an MOA) can also get access to the system for the purposes of billing (as well as other features like appointment scheduling, etc.).

If you have any questions, please email billingadvice@albertadoctors.org.

Alberta Medical Association Mission: Advocate for and support Alberta physicians. Strengthen their leadership in the provision of sustainable quality care.