In December, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) introduced new terms of agreement for direct billing with the province’s physiotherapists and other health-care providers. This move has sparked concerns among the medical community, particularly regarding patient privacy and consultation processes. Neil Nijjar, a Vancouver-based physiotherapist and chairman of the private practice committee with the Physiotherapy Association of B.C., voiced his apprehensions about the broad access these terms grant ICBC to medical computer systems.
ICBC released the new terms stating that they are not intended to replace or interfere with existing health professional standards or regulatory frameworks in British Columbia. However, health-care providers have raised issues about the lack of consultation from the Crown corporation before implementing these terms.
Neil Nijjar emphasized that the current wording allows ICBC extensive access to computer systems, which could potentially infringe on patient privacy. He expressed the need for more dialogue between ICBC and health-care providers to address these concerns effectively.
“(Practioners) agree to allow ICBC or ICBC’s representatives to enter your business premises and access any computer systems (during regular business hours) for the purposes of performance management.” – ICBC's terms of service
The minister overseeing this matter acknowledged Nijjar's concerns and expressed optimism that ICBC will address the raised issues. Speaking on Wednesday, the minister conveyed their expectation that ICBC would take action in response to these privacy concerns.
“My expectation is that they will do that,” – the minister
The minister further assured that any release of information must be carefully managed to protect citizens' rights.
“Anything that they release has to go through a funnel, as it were, to ensure that the rights of the citizens who are involved are safeguarded.” – the minister
ICBC defended their new terms, clarifying that there are no changes in policies regarding treatment funding or provider selection.
“We’re not changing any policies on what treatments we fund, or how we fund those treatments, and we don’t determine who can treat ICBC customers,” – ICBC's statement
Despite initial tensions, there is a growing consensus for constructive dialogue between ICBC and health-care providers.
“We’re happy ICBC is now kind of agreeing to engage in conversation, which is really good,” – the minister
The minister expressed hope for ongoing positive discussions to resolve outstanding issues.
“Hopefully, the conversations continue to head in a positive direction and we can get all this sorted out.” – the minister
Postmedia remains dedicated to fostering a robust yet respectful discussion forum on this topic. Comments on related articles may take up to an hour to appear online. Subscribers can expect a welcome email shortly, and the upcoming issue of Sunrise will soon be in their inboxes.
