March 24, 2025

Government announces the PCPCM will go live April 1

Earlier today, the Alberta government announced that the PCPCM will launch on April 1. You can read the announcement here.

More than 1000 expressions of interest (EOIs) were received, and nearly 800 applications were submitted to Alberta Heath. Congratulations to everyone who has already enrolled in the PCPCM - please watch for more information on next steps in the coming days!

IMPORTANT: Applications for the model will continue to be received on an ongoing basis - you can enrol at any time. See the March 24 Alberta Government Bulletin for information on future deadlines and reach out to pcpcm@albertadoctors.org if you require support. You can also review our Application Guide and troubleshooting resource.

Don't miss tonight's information session

Join us to learn how to correct issues that impact your PCPCM panel size and ensure accurate monthly panel payments. REGISTER NOW (member login required).

March 24, 2025
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom/Virtual - AMA members only

After the session, you'll be able to:

Identify & correct issues negatively affecting your PCPCM panel size
Ensure that PCPCM panel payments reflect your actual panel size
Fix your PCPCM panel size to access the model (for those unexpectedly below 500 patients)

This physician-led session is for members who have already applied and those looking to meet eligibility requirements.

Understanding Complexity-Adjusted Panel Payments

Monthly panel payments are new to most physicians, and you may be feeling skeptical or uncertain about the methodology. Firstly, PCPCM panel payments were designed to:

a) recognize the continuous relationship between a family physician and their patient, and

b) acknowledge the increased demands that complex patients place on a physician's practice.

Distinct from Encounter and Time-based billing, panel payments are issued automatically based on the number of patients attached to a family physician via CPAR and the patient’s CIHI POP Grouper classification. This is determined using multiple data sources and variables including:

Care types (acute, primary, home care and long-term)

System usage

Medical diagnoses

Age and gender

Next, patients are brought into Alberta Health’s Payment Calculation Matrix. It takes the number of patients in each complexity category and creates an average cost per patient. Further, these figures may be adjusted for funding increases in the Alberta Health-Alberta Medical Association Master Agreement.

The PCPCM Complexity Adjusted Panel Payments webpage on the AMA website explains the CIHI methodology and will help you better understand Pop Groupers, Alberta Health complexity categories, macro-allocations and patient averages.

Several panel complexity calculations were explored and the CIHI methodology was determined to be the best option as it considers the most factors and is both transparent and proven. The methodology is used across Canada and is publicly accessible. AMA physician leaders are confident that CIHI is the right choice for the PCPCM.

New Resource: Practice Agreement Facilitation Guide

As physicians prepare to transition to the PCPCM, they should review existing practice agreements. The PCPCM Practice Agreement Facilitation Guide can help structure conversations with your physician group and ensure model elements are adequately reflected.

New Resource: Guide for Locums

If you utilize locum services, this guide can help you understand how locums operate within the PCPCM. Whenever a locum physician comes into a PCPCM practice to work in place of the host physician, a mutual decision should be made on whether the locum should bill under PCPCM or FFS.

Our new guide outlines key considerations, including length of coverage and administration requirements. It also provides a locum contract guide that aligns with the rules and rates of the PCPCM Ministerial Order.

New Sessions Added: Live & On Call with AMA

Live & On Call takes place most Fridays from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. This week, we've added 2 additional sessions to help physicians and teams prepare for the April 1 launch.

New: Wednesday, March 26 - 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

New: Thursday, March 27 - 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

If you're looking for guidance on specific model elements, these interactive sessions can assist! Live & On Call is an AMA peer-to-peer learning space and change management hub where you can bring questions, seek clarity on model guidelines and connect with the growing PCPCM network.

These lunchtime sessions help physicians and clinic teams deepen their understanding of the model while providing real-time insights into implementation. We offer a short presentation from physician leaders, followed by an open Q&A.

Attend individual sessions or join every week. REGISTER HERE.

Resources

The AMA has developed a range of support tools, information sessions and resources to assist with the PCPCM launch and transition. These resources will help you decide if the PCPCM is right for your practice, offer guidance on the enrolment process, explain billing and more.