Please note that there are new specialist fee codes for COVID-19. Click here to learn more.
Purpose
SSC Fees were originally implemented in 2010 to increase specialist physicians’ capacity to provide well-coordinated as well as timely care and consult with other physicians on complex cases. These fees continued to be funded from the SSC budget under the Physician Master Agreement (PMA) until March 2020.
As of April 1, 2020, based on the new PMA, management of the SSC fees has been transferred to the Tariff Committee. Funding for these fees will be taken out of the SSC’s ongoing annual budget and transferred to the MSP budget. Transferred fees will be monitored for two years in order to determine if there are any unforeseen issues with the fee items. During this time period, SSC will be responsible for utilization growth of the fees beyond 2.4% annually.
A working group comprised of Ministry of Health and Doctors of BC physician representatives will continue to provide recommendations to the Tariff Committee on the fees and possible modifications. SSC will also engage with specialty section heads if and when changes are considered.
See Overview and FAQs.
Sizing it Up
A key part of SSC’s work is to help make it easier for specialists to deliver care and for patients to access it; fee code incentives can help to facilitate this goal.
The rationale for the transfer of fees from the SSC to the Ministry was that the SSC had to manage the fees within a fixed budget; this meant that utilization growth was an ongoing concern. Fees which sit within the Payment Schedule can now grow with natural utilization.
Things to Know
Any FRCP specialist is eligible to bill the SSC fees.
Please note that all SSC fees have a “PG” Prefix. The P denotes a provisional fee and the G that the fee was initiated by one of the Joint Collaborative Committees.
Please review the SSC Fee Guide and Preamble before billing these fees.
Fee Inquiries
Doctors of BC Billing and Audit:
Juanita Grant
Manager, Audit & Billing
604-638-2829
jgrant@doctorsofbc.ca
Fee Inquiries:
Lea Harth
Fee Guide Advisor
604-638-2827
lharth@doctorsofbc.ca