B.C. chronic illness clinic cuts services after virtual group fee changes

Tia Leschke of Winlaw, British Columbia, relies on an online clinic to manage fibromyalgia, a chronic illness that causes body-wide pain and fatigue. Her family doctor referred her to the BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia after being unable to treat her condition.

The centre treats approximately 8,500 patients through virtual group settings. Participants meet with a doctor, ask questions about their conditions and medicines, share experiences, and can receive prescriptions after a one-on-one assessment.

“They help you get through and manage your condition as much as possible, because some of us aren’t ever going to be cured and most of us aren’t going to be completely cured.”

On September 24, the Medical Services Commission announced that virtual groups would be capped at 30 patients starting November 1. The per-patient reimbursement fee also dropped from $14.71 to $11.42 once a group passes 20 patients.

Dr. Jane McKay, one of the clinic’s physicians, said the group cap was expected after a year of preparation. However, she said the Ministry of Health never informed the clinic about the reduction in patient reimbursement fees.

The funding loss has forced the clinic to cut multidisciplinary care, including groups led by physiotherapists and counsellors. McKay described the remaining model as barebones and a shadow of what it used to be.

A Ministry of Health spokesperson told the Nelson Star that changes to virtual health groups had been in development for over a year before the announcement and included communication with BC-CLMF.