Some parts of this page will not display.

JavaScript is not available in this browser or may be turned off.

MLAs joined Minister Shandro to announce physician funding changes to improve recruitment and retention in rural Alberta.

Effective immediately, the $60,000 cap on the Rural and Remote Northern Program (RRNP) will be abolished. This program will now be the most generous in the country.

Overhead changes announced earlier this year will be paused for urban physicians while an extensive review by AHS with physician involvement is completed. Rural physicians will be exempted from any changes permanently.

Medical liability rates for all rural physicians, including obstetrics, will be frozen at $1,000. Rates for all family physicans in Alberta will also be frozen at $1,000. Rates for all other urban physicians will range from a low of $1,200 to a maximum of $4,000.

On-call rates for all rural physicians will range from $20 per hour to $23 per hour, increasing payments to more than 1,500 physicians who are on call in rural Alberta.

$6 million will be used to pay for the schooling of 20 medical students over the next three years to incentivize young Albertans from rural communities to return to practise in their home communities after completing medical school.

“Over the last several weeks, discussions with rural caucus and rural physicians have made it clear that there are unique challenges to recruiting and retaining physicians in communities outside of Alberta’s major cities. These changes recognize that difference and will significantly improve access to health care for patients in rural communities.” Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health

In addition, clinical researcher Dr. Lee Green has been contracted to engage physicians on how to improve health care in rural communities through alternative compensation models.

“As a longtime advocate of alternative funding models, I hope we can not only improve alternative funding programs themselves, but use alternative funding approaches to improve primary health care in Alberta. That will mean engaging with, hearing, and applying the wisdom of the practice community to make real change happen.” Dr. Lee Green, professor and chair, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta

Quick facts