More Albertans will be able to receive mental health care, with a billing code change that allows psychiatrists to provide additional virtual care.
The changes will allow psychiatrists to bill for virtual indirect care, in part of a psychiatric consultation. Currently, only time spent with a patient is counted toward virtual care billing code time requirements. However, the time taken with same-day patient management activities including reviewing patient history, ordering tests, and completing a medical record, will now also be eligible for payment, a government media release said.
“The pandemic has had a significant impact on Albertans’ mental health. Psychiatrists have a very important role in providing assistance to the mental health needs of Albertans. By continuing to expand virtual care, we are improving Albertans’ access to support and providing them with more treatment options,” Minister of Health Jason Copping said in the release.
Another change to the code will allow psychiatrists to bill for the time when a child’s treatment is discussed with their parent or guardian.
“The AMA and the government are negotiating a new interest-based agreement. In establishing our working relationship, we have agreed to address some priorities requiring action now to support physician practices and encourage uptake of virtual care. Today, through continued collaboration in the interests of patients, we fill another gap in mental health care delivery,” the president of the Alberta Medical Association Dr. Michelle Warren said in the release.
The changes will be effective retroactively. Eligible services performed after Feb. 1, will be assessed.
The changes are building on virtual care expansions that were announced by the Alberta Medical Association in December 2021. The changes are expected to encourage more physicians to provide care virtually and make virtual health care more readily available to Albertans.
The province will pay between $700,000 and $1.5 million annually to enhance billing codes for virtual psychiatric care.
Since the pandemic, about 42 per cent of physician visits, consultations and mental health services have been provided virtually. However, virtual care continues to evolve.
The government of Alberta will continue to monitor virtual care’s effectiveness in patient care.
