Posted on Jul 16, 2025
During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary adjustments were made to the Fee Guide to help patients access virtual care and to enable physicians to provide it. These changes included temporarily billing some in-person fees for virtual services, such as Group Medical Visits.
To effectively integrate virtual care post-pandemic, a Virtual Care Working Group, with representatives from the Ministry of Health, Doctors of BC, BC Family Doctors, and Consultant Specialists of BC, was formed to review the temporary fee changes introduced during COVID-19.
Based on this review, the Working Group recommended changes to ensure patients continue to have access to virtual GMV services while implementing measures that promote quality care and clarify billing guidelines.
What is changing?
Starting September 1, 2025, updates to fee-for-service billing will be implemented for GMVs that aim to enhance patient care, support patient-physician interactions, and ensure the long-term sustainability of virtual care in BC. Here are some important changes for both family physicians and specialists:
- New, permanent virtual GMV fee codes are being introduced, separate from the in-person GMV fees (which will continue to be billed using existing fees).
- There will be a cap of 20 patients per virtual GMV sessions only; there is no maximum group size for in-person GMVs.
- GMVs conducted in a hybrid format (both in-person and virtual) must be billed using the new fee codes.
- A minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 90 minutes can be claimed per patient per day.
- If a patient participates in more than 2.5 hours of GMVs in any 7-day period, a claim note-record is required.
For more information, including a complete list of fee changes, visit our Fee Guide Resources webpage.
What is a Group Medical Visit?
A GMV is when multiple patients with similar health needs, such as Type 2 diabetes, receive medically required care together in a group setting rather than individually. These visits efficiently use existing resources, leading to improved care, better health outcomes, increased patient access to care, and reduced costs. They also enable doctors to address common health concerns for several patients at once, freeing up their time to see more patients.
While allied health providers can manage certain parts of GMVs, a doctor must be physically present for the majority of the visit to provide one-on-one interaction with each patient.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the fee changes, please contact economics@doctorsofbc.ca.
