Physicians who contract to a BC health authority: Should you register with WorkSafeBC?

If you are a physician who provides professional services to one of BC’s health services authorities, you may be required by the Physician Master Agreement to apply to be registered with WorkSafeBC.

Do you have to register with WorkSafeBC?
You are required to apply to register with WorkSafeBC if you fall into one or both of the following categories:
•    You are an employer.
•    You operate through an incorporated company.

Note: As an exception, a corporation whose workers are all shareholders of the corporation and whose revenue is received largely from a single health authority or health care facility does not have to apply because the shareholders would be considered workers of the health authority or facility.

You may choose to apply to register with WorkSafeBC if you provide your services to a health services authority as an independent contractor in your own name (e.g., Dr Jane Smith) and your revenue is earned solely through one or more of the following avenues:
•    A service contract (under which you provide your services as an independent contractor).
•    A sessional contract (under which you provide services on a time or sessional basis—in which a session equals 3.5 hours of your professional services).
•    Fee-for-service payments from the Medical Services Plan (MSP), and WorkSafeBC and ICBC services submitted through and paid by MSP.
•    Earnings related to private practice (third party, medicolegal, and private billings).

You do not have to apply to register if any of the following situations apply:
•    You have a WorkSafeBC account number or a letter from WorkSafeBC advising that you are not required or not eligible to be registered with WorkSafeBC, and your practice has not changed since you received that confirmation.
•    You receive a T4 Statement of Remuneration Paid or a T4A Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income from a health services authority.
•    You provide your services to a health services authority under a salary agreement (as described in the Physician Master Agreement).

How to apply to register
Complete the Physician Contracting to BC Health Authorities form (#1800PHPC) and e-mail it to phpcreg@worksafebc.com. If you are a proprietor or partner and would like to be covered for workers’ compensation, you must apply for Personal Optional Protection insurance by also completing form #1801.

You will find both forms on www.worksafebc.com/forms.

WorkSafeBC will require approximately 2 weeks to process the forms from the date of receipt. If we determine that you are not eligible to register, you will receive a letter advising you of this, which you may submit to a health authority.
—Peter Rothfels, MD
Chief Medical Officer and Director of Clinical Services, WorkSafeBC

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This article is the opinion of WorkSafeBC and has not been peer reviewed by the BCMJ Editorial Board.