Alta. government funding model will pay NPs 80% of family physician rate

The $15-million nurse practitioner primary care program aims to fill in gaps around primary care, particularly for the 700,000 Albertans who don’t have a primary healthcare provider. It allows NPs to practise comprehensive patient care autonomously, to operate their own clinic or to practise autonomously in existing primary care clinics. To qualify for the payment model, NPs will need to commit to providing primary care for at least 900 patients and be willing to work some after-hours shifts. The province justifies the reduced rate for NPs relative to family doctors as they don't perform surgeries or typically work in hospitals. While NPs can open private clinics, the provincial program bars them from charging for services already covered by the province.