Physician payment disclosure – Apply for an exemption

Overview

More contextual information on physician payment disclosure will be available when the payments are posted.

Exemption applications for the first disclosure period closed on Oct. 7, 2020.

Eligibility

The physician disclosure list applies to Alberta physicians to whom fee-for-service (FFS) benefits are paid.

Physicians employed by the Government of Alberta, Alberta Health Services or another public health entity may have salary and benefits associated with their employment disclosed under public sector employee salary and severance disclosure.

What will be disclosed

Disclosure only includes gross payments of FFS benefits paid under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan and therefore will not include payments received by a physician from patients or private health insurance for services that are outside the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan.

Government will publicly disclose the following information:

• Total FFS billing
  • Total FFS payments made in respect of a physician at the date of disclosure for insured medical services provided within the reporting period to Alberta residents.
  • Total FFS payments may change after the yearly disclosure due to late claim submissions or reassessments of previously paid claims. Changes to total FFS payments for a previously disclosed reporting period will be adjusted at the next disclosure date.
  • Phase 2 is expected to include amounts paid in respect of a physician for providing insured medical services under other arrangements such as an Alternative Relationship Plan.
• Fiscal year
  • The reporting period of the payments and corresponding information – April 1 to March 31 of the following year.
• Name of physician
  • First, middle and last name of the physician in respect of whom the payment for insured medical service(s) was made within the reporting period, as of the date of the most recent fiscal year’s disclosure.
  • Any changes to a physician’s name will be updated on the next fiscal year’s disclosure.
• Location
  • City or town of the facility/location where the physician provided the most insured medical service(s) within the reporting period.
  • Physicians may work in multiple locations during the reporting period.
• Primary specialty
  • Branch of medical practice under which the physician received the most FFS payments for insured medical service(s) provided within the reporting period.
  • Some physicians may be certified by the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta under more than one branch of medical practice. These physicians submit claims for benefits using the specialty under which they were working when the insured medical service was provided.
• Discrete patients seen
  • Number of discrete patients a physician provided insured medical services to, and in respect of which FFS payments were made, within the reporting period.
  • “Discrete” means patients are counted only once, even if a physician provides services for them multiple times within a single reporting period.
  • Does not include patients seen by a physician for insured medical services under an Alternative Relationship Plan.
• Number of days worked
  • Number of days within the reporting period on which a physician provided at least one insured medical service in respect of which a FFS payment was made.
  • Does not include days worked by the physician for providing insured medical services under an Alternative Relationship Plan.

How to request an exemption

We are committed to protecting the safety and security of physicians.

Physicians may be granted an exemption from public disclosure if the designated official from Justice and Solicitor General determines it could unduly threaten their safety.

Applicants must provide sufficient information to establish a threat that is logically connected with, and could result from, disclosure of the physician’s information under the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act. These threats would need to be different from what could ordinarily occur due to the nature of the physician’s role.

Each physician requires an exemption form – group applications are not accepted.

Exemptions are generally valid for 5 years.

• Physician Payment Disclosure Policy and Process (PDF, 640 KB)
• Physician Payment Disclosure Exemption Form (PDF, 500 KB)

Exemption application deadlines

The application period for the following dates closed on October 7, 2020:

• April 1, 2017 – March 31, 2018
• April 1, 2018 – March 31, 2019
• April 1, 2019 – March 31, 2020

Application deadlines for future disclosures will be determined by Alberta Health each fiscal year and will be available on alberta.ca. The deadline will be a minimum of 30 days prior to the date of disclosure.

After an exemption is requested

If an exemption is granted, government staff will notify the applicant. Approved exemptions will be effective for 5 years.

If an exemption is not granted, government staff will notify the applicant.

Contact

Hours: 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)
Email: [email protected]

Address:
Executive Director
Provider Compensation and Strategic Partnerships Branch
Alberta Health
11th Floor ATB Place
10025 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta  T5J 1S6