Re: Changes to compensation for teaching

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 57, No. 9, November 2015, Page 378 Letters
By: Brian Winsby, MD

I read the letter to the editor in your September issue titled “MSP: Changes to compensation for teaching” [BCMJ 2015;57:275] with great concern as it contained some significant factual errors that may cause unnecessary confusion among Doctors of BC members.

The letter states that MSP wants to decrease compensation for physicians who teach. This statement is not true and, in fact, recent changes to the rules regarding payment for services by trainees, residents, and fellows have been modified to make it easier for physicians to get compensated for this work.

The rules referenced in the letter have actually been in place for many years and have not changed. The material change to the rules allows supervising physicians to bill as long as they are available in person, by telephone, or via videoconferencing in a timely manner appropriate to the acuity of the service being supervised.

Previously they were required to be in the clinical teaching unit and/or immediately available to intervene (“immediately available” means on-site). The requirement to subsequently review and sign off on the service provided by the trainee, resident, or fellow remains the same. The changes to the rules are highlighted in a document that can be found at https://www.bcmj.org/sites/default/files/pv-Batchelor-reply-attachment-General%20Preamble%20Clause%20C18.pdf.

We are extremely concerned that some members may make a decision to stop clinical teaching based on the erroneous information contained in the letter.
—Brian Winsby, MD
Chair, Tariff Committee

We regret that the original letter was printed without offering the Tariff Committee an opportunity to rebut it. Mea culpa.
—ED

Brian Winsby, MD. Re: Changes to compensation for teaching. BCMJ, Vol. 57, No. 9, November, 2015, Page(s) 378 - Letters.


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