Victoria doctor says controversial retainer fee under review
A Victoria doctor that had asked her patients to pay a monthly $125 fee for expanded services says she's putting the idea on hold as her team reviews the policy.
Earlier this month, Dr. Perpetua Nwosu told her patients that the fee was for accessing services like longer appointments or home visits, while the money would be used for hiring more staff – such as nurses and mental health counsellors – as well as administrative and operational costs.
The announcement didn't sit well with everyone, however, with one patient telling CTV News that they had concerns about their future care since they couldn't afford the new fee.
Doctors in B.C. can charge additional fees, called "block fees," but only for services that aren't covered by MSP.
Last week, the province said the Medical Services Commission was reviewing the proposed fee, which was set to begin in October.
This weekend, however, Nwosu sent patients a letter saying "the [retainership] scheme as it was originally stated is withdrawn while it is under review."
She added that her health centre is "committed to providing safe and efficient medical services for all patients."
Last week, Saanich, B.C., physician Dr. Jennifer Lush told CTV News she wasn't surprised by the situation.
"Dr. Nwosu is by no means the first physician to charge patients an additional fee for services that are not covered under the medical services plan," she said.
"The question we should be asking is not how dare this physicians do this, but how dare the government in a universal health-care system not adequately fund family doctors," she said.
With Files from CTV News' Robert Buffam and Bhinder Sajan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Two killed after collision with truck on Hwy. 417 near Limoges, Ont.
Ontario Provincial Police say two people were killed after a car and a transport truck collided in the westbound lanes of Highway 417 near Limoges, Ont. on Tuesday afternoon.
Hulk Hogan, hurricanes and a blockbuster recording: A week in review of the Trump hush money trial
Crucial witnesses took the stand in the second week of testimony in Donald Trump's hush money trial, including a California lawyer who negotiated deals at the center of the case and a longtime adviser to the former president.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
What a U.S. farmworker’s case of bird flu tells us about tracking the infection
A U.S. farmworker who caught bird flu after working with dairy cattle in Texas appears to be the first known case of mammal-to-human transmission of the virus, a new study shows.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
‘We made them safer and more fun’: Here’s what’s new about e-scooters
Electric scooters (e-scooters) have been gaining popularity in the capital and this season comes with some changes and updates.