May 29, 2025

First panel payments arrive on Friday

Primary Care Physician Compensation Model (PCPCM) physicians who began billing in April will receive their first complexity-adjusted panel payments on Friday, May 30! Details can be found in the Statement of Account with PCPCM panel payment – MM YYYY denoting the total amount paid based on the previous month’s EMR upload to CPAR.

To understand these new line items, see Complexity-adjusted Panel Payments or Section 6.0 of the PCPCM Operations Manual. At this time, a breakdown of patient-level payments and complexity assignments is not available, but the AMA will be seeking enhancements in the future.

Estimating future panel payments

Step 1: In the CPAR portal, designated Panel Administrators can download the PANEL SUBMISSION METRICS REPORT. Under Total Active Attachment, note the monthly CPAR PANEL PATIENT COUNT.

Step 2: In the EMR, run a report for paneled patients who do not have an Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan Number. Subtract the total from the CPAR PANEL PATIENT COUNT to calculate the PCPCM PANEL ESTIMATE.

Step 3: Find the Average Panel Payment per Patient figure in the AMA Member Dashboard; this information is refreshed by Alberta Health every one to two months. To estimate future panel payments, multiply this figure by the PCPCM PANEL ESTIMATE.

Understanding and resolving panel payment issues

If monthly panel payments are not as expected, there are a few steps to take before contacting Alberta Health. Remember, a CPAR Panel and a PCPCM Panel are not the same, and payment is not provided for patients with invalid or expired PHNs, as CPAR and EMRs cannot identify them.

Physicians and teams should review how PCPCM panels are calculated. This resource includes self-serve steps to ensure panels upload correctly to CPAR and when to contact the EMR provider. After following the suggested steps and issues remain, contact Alberta Health at health.pcpcminfo@gov.ab.ca.

Share the PCPCM experience with ACTT

ACTT is conducting an evaluation to understand how family physicians and rural generalists utilized PCPCM resources and supports. Physicians who entered the model in April or May are invited to take part in an interview to share when they first became aware of the model and to reflect on the application process and getting ready for implementation.

Interested in participating?

Physicians can express their interest by completing a five-minute questionnaire. If selected to participate, they will take part in a 30- to 60-minute interview on Zoom and receive an honorarium of $230.62. The deadline to complete the questionnaire is Tuesday, June 11.

June Community of Practice (CoP) sessions

The PCPCM CoP Series, which answers questions in real-time and shares new model insights with attendees, is taking a summer break. The final spring sessions will take place on June 4 and June 20, with an open Q&A period and physician-led content on strategies for Access Improvements and Locums.

REGISTER TO ATTEND

The PCPCM CoP Session on June 10 has been cancelled. Registered attendees received notice on May 27.

PCPCM application and BA rules

The PCPCM application process remains open, and qualifying physicians are encouraged to enrol at any time. For information on monthly deadlines and corresponding start dates, see the March 24 Alberta Government Bulletin.

Once Alberta Health approves an application, physicians must follow the Ministerial Order (MO) rules, which stipulate that new PCPCM BAs must be used for eligible claims on the first of the month.

If physicians are unsure about their ability to start working in the PCPCM, they can still complete an Expression of Interest, but should hold off on submitting a formal application.

PCPCM resources

The AMA has developed various support tools and guides to assist with the PCPCM launch and transition. These resources will help physicians decide if the PCPCM is right for their practice, offer guidance on the enrolment process and help physicians and teams navigate the transition.

Questions? Contact pcpcm@albertadoctors.org

The opinions expressed in AMA publications are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the Alberta Medical Association, its Board of Directors or members.

The Alberta Medical Association does not assume responsibility or liability for damages arising from any error or omission or from the use of any information or advice contained in these materials. Advertisements included in our publications are not necessarily endorsed by the Alberta Medical Association.

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