In this pilot, family physicians can bill for the services provided by the AHCP to help offset the costs associated with employing them, to a maximum of $110,000 per year. All services delivered by the AHCP must be within their scope. 

The new codes will include: 

• AHCP Service (simple) – $25 
• AHCP Service (complex) – $52 (approx. 1 hour) 

Family physicians cannot bill these fees if the salary of the AHCP is paid by the NSH or another third party. Only family physicians in their own practice (not in an NSH-operated facility) may apply to be part of the pilot project. 

Applicants must explain how an AHCP will benefit the system in terms of access and attachment, related to either stabilization or service expansion. 

If hiring an AHCP into your practice enables you to attach additional patients, those patients will become part of your roster. This will either increase base compensation for LFM payment model physicians or increase the rostering grant (overhead) for fee-for- service physicians providing longitudinal family medicine services. 

Proposals must be submitted between  Jan. 1 and Feb. 29, 2024, for implementation in 2024, or between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, 2025, for implementation in 2025. Details on the application process will be provided as soon as they are available.

Specialists

For other specialists requests for additional resources – including both new physician FTE needs and requests for allied health-care providers (AHCPs) or other resources – should be advanced by the Department Head through the annual NSH and IWK Health business case process.