By Janet McKeown MD CCFP DipSportsMed, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of British Columbia and Clinical Care Lead, UBC Health Clinic (biography and disclosures)
Disclosures: Dr. McKeown has received honorarium from BC College of Family Physicians (BCCFP) which was used to pay individuals who worked on this tool. Dr. McKeown did not keep any of the honorarium. Dr. McKeown is the medical lead for the Westside Neighbourhood Mobile Care Unit. No bias or conflict of interest. Mitigating potential bias: The recommendations are consistent with published provincial and federally government funded resources and current practice patterns.
What I did before
For many years as a family physician I have completed government assistance forms for my patients. Some forms longer than others, some that I couldn’t find on line, some that I was unsure if I could bill for, some that were provincial forms and others, federal and then there was assistance that needed a letter and no form.
I suspect I have not been alone scratching my head in bewilderment and feeling slightly challenged around health related government assistance and their forms!
What changed my practice
For 2 1/2 yrs I have been a medical lead for an outreach team, the Mobile Care Unit, MCU, in Vancouver that provides social assistance and medical care for a marginalized population during community meals. Slowly, I have gleaned some knowledge of social services available and together with a team from MCU, we have developed a 2 page tool, Government Assistance: Health Resources and Forms.
This tool with its’ many links has been created to help BC physicians and nurse practitioners navigate their way through health related provincial and federal assistance, forms and how to bill for them.
What I do now
I have begun to use our tool, Government Assistance: Health Resources and Forms, which is now available on Pathways. The tool has helped me understand assistance with a more organized approach. It has helped me access information quickly and it has helped me be more knowledgeable about billing provincially, federally and privately. It is also an efficient tool to use in a teaching environment to help learners better understand government assistance.
Hopefully my colleagues and I won’t be scratching our heads in bewilderment as frequently and instead, we can be more efficient with our clinical time.
As updates do occur on government websites, the links for this tool will be updated yearly on Pathways.
Browse, use, and feedback is welcome!
Tool: view and download. This tool has many links which are active and clickable.
Acknowledgement: Supported by a grant from the BC College of Family Physicians. Last edit: January 2020
Credits and Work of: Westside Anglicans Neighbourhood Ministry – Mobile Care Unit, Janet McKeown MD CCFP, Benita Yi BSW RSW, UBC
Family Medicine Resident – Jesse Kancir MD MSc MPhil, UBC Medical Students – Vionarica Gusti BSc and Edward Fang BSc (Pharm)
Handout: Case Examples: view and download.
Loading ...
The section on “billing” is erroneous. How are we supposed to demand fees from our patients living in poverty to complete their forms?
Ami, I think the form indicates how to bill MSP or Service Canada for filling out the form, not to bill patients directly. If you click through the links it takes you to external websites.
Thank you for putting this together Dr McKeown! I would just add there is at least one more caregiver form beyond the compassionate care one you’ve indicated (i know, there are so many forms….). To consider for your next update. Here’s the current link explaining caregiver benefits (for now!) https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/caregiving.html
Thank you so much for this!!! It will be so helpful for both me and my patients.
Hi Ami,
If you click on the hyperlink for “information about billing” in the PWD, PPMB and CPP-D columns on page 1, it will provide a bit more info about billing MSP or Service Canada. We’ve included the MSP billing codes for the PWD and PPMB forms for a quick reference.
Hi Dr Katie.
Thanks very much for your link about caregiver benefits for our next version.
A stable source of income is necessary for marginalized patients to shift their focus from next meal/safety/shelter toward improving their lives and mental/physical health.
This is an excellent tool to review and understand income assistance options to discuss briefly with patients when appropriate. It complements the “Poverty Tool” https://bccfp.bc.ca/why-join/poverty-tool/ and supports the CFPC Patient Medical Home Social Determinants of Health guide https://bccfp.bc.ca/why-join/sdh-best-advice-guide/
In my fee for service office, I found that referral of these patients to a (visiting) nurse/social worker for assistance with social and psychological determinants of health + Govt form preparation, saved time and paperwork, was financially remunerative with Case Conferencing GPSC Fee (social worker was funded by a community based NGO), and increased my “joy in practice”.
Thank you very much. It is very useful for my practice.
This looks like a helpful tool! I wonder if Palliative Benefits would be appropriate on future revisions? https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/forms/349fil.pdf
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/pharmacare/prescribers/plan-p-bc-palliative-care-benefits-program
Useful article, thank you.
Be cautious when writing an article that the reader knows what you know. You mention that updates can be found on “Pathways”. What is this?
Very useful. Thanks !
Thanks so much for putting this together in one resource! This is a helpful framework for understanding the process in order to optimize care for some of our most vulnerable.
Hi Russell,
Pathways is an online resource available to all family physicians in BC who are members of their respective Divisions of Family Practice. https://www.divisionsbc.ca/provincial/what-we-do/practice-support/pathways
Quick and concise link.
Significant error in document. Help the patient apply for PWD first. If they apply to CPPD first and are accepted they are not eligible for *any health benefits provincially (including dental) that those on PWD receive nor the transportation subsidy* through the province for a monthly bus pass. Please correct. This is well known.
Outreach Nurse.
Thanks for your comment which raises a good point and a challenge for CPPD applicants in BC. To my knowledge, to meet eligibility criteria for PWD one needs to pursue and accept other means of financial assistance including CPPD before applying. Once receiving CPPD, one can apply for top up with PWD if there is a difference.
I am aware that on CPPD one is not eligible for all the PWD benefits which is very unfortunate. I am not aware of a way around this.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/policies-for-government/bcea-policy-and-procedure-manual/eligibility/pursuing-income
They are recipients of PWD before applying for CPPD is asked of them.
Initially assessed for some other means of income such as through ex partnerships, EI, employment funds. At this time they are also asked if they have an open file with WCB or ICBC. Once on PWD BC Ministry clients are sent a letter requesting they apply for CPPD.
This is why it is important this document is amended.