Telus ditches fee-based health program in B.C.

Telus is backing down from its fee-based health service which allowed people to pay a premium to get priority access to a family doctor.

On Wednesday, B.C.’s Ministry of Health announced a settlement has been reached between the company and the BC Medical Services Commission (BCMSC).

The settlement comes after the commission had alleged Telus was engaging in illegal extra billing by charging patients to get priority access to a family doctor through its LifePlus program. The province says through the settlement, TELUS Health has agreed to make changes to the program so it is compliant with the Medicare Protection Act.

Various people using LifePlus had reported that Telus was charging fees in excess of $4,000.

However, TELUS Health says, “There were no instances of extra billing identified by the MSC in the LifePlus program during its review.”

Read More: Telus Health’s paid services under review

As a result, those who have already signed up for the TELUS Health program will be able to keep their doctors, but no new patients will be allowed to join through LifePlus in its original form.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix is calling the agreement a win for public health care.

“The idea is not to punish. The idea is to make it better for patients and both the commission and Telus worked with that in mind and I’m delighted to see the Act upheld in this way,” he said during a news conference.

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix pauses while responding to questions during a news conference in Vancouver on Monday, November 7, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

In December 2022, the BCMSC raised concerns over LifePlus’s compliance with the Medicare Protection Act. The commission applied to have a court injunction to prevent Telus Health from contravening the Act by “facilitating access, or priority access to Medical Services Plan benefits” through LifePlus.

“To ensure compliance going forward, TELUS Health will no longer offer physician services to new clients through its LifePlus program. This ensures compliance with the Medical Protection Act. Telus Health will also separate its existing physician services to offer publicly funded medically necessary services apart from its LifePlus program,” Dix said.

In a statement to CityNews, Telus Health’s Chief Growth Officer Juggy Sihota says the company and the BCMSC reached a “mutual agreement.”

“This agreement will see the MSC withdrawing its Petition against LifePlus and TELUS Health modifying some of the program’s operational processes over time to ensure a clearer delineation between insured and uninsured care delivery while maintaining continuity of care for its clients,” the statement reads.

“In a challenging and evolving health environment, TELUS Health is committed to continuing to be a collaborative partner in providing innovative health solutions to people in British Columbia.”

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to clarify that TELUS Health’s position that LifePlus is a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals. TELUS says LifePlus will continue in a modified form.