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TFP Frequently Asked Questions

What is the AMA's role in the TFP?

The AMA agreed to support communication about the TFP, the declaration process and the distribution of payments to eligible physicians based on criteria set by Alberta Health. The AMA must keep records of payments made and report to AH on an ongoing basis and as requested.

Eligibility

Physicians that are planning on leaving the province before March 2025 are eligible for a pro-rated payment for the time they practiced during the program period. The AMA will work with you to figure out your pro-rated payment amount.

Eligible physicians who are planning a parental leave before March 2025 are able to receive their payment as long as you are returning to practice after your parental leave. If you do not plan to return to practice after parental leave, you only qualify for the pro-rated amount up until the point when you left practice.

Physicians who are retiring before March 2025 are eligible for a pro-rated payment. Your payment will be based on the period you are practicing, and the AMA will work with you to figure out what that amount would be.

Physicians that are not eligible for the TFP will not have a TFP widget on their AMA Member Dashboard.

There are some family physicians and rural generalists that may not be eligible for the TFP payment.

Physicians may not qualify: 

  • If your panel size is 499 patients or less.
  • If you are a pediatrician, non-family medicine specialist, resident or medical student.
  • If you are not in good standing with CPSA.

Payments

All payments are made directly to eligible physicians. No payments will be made to clinics, Primary Care Networks (PCNs), or any other entity.

Yes, TFP is taxable income. The AMA is unable to provide a T4 for the TFP payment. For further information about how this income impacts your taxes please connect with your accountant.

Panel Size

Panel sizes will be available on the AMA member dashboard under the TFP widget.

Panel size can be calculated in many ways. The accuracy of EMR panel sizes is dependent on clinic processes. Other variables such as time frame and billing codes may explain the different panel sizes calculations for PCN and HQCA or other panel size calculations.

TFP panel sizes may vary for providers on CPAR as well. Patients that are on a CPAR panel but are in Conflict (i.e. on more than one CPAR panel) will not automatically be allocated to that provider. Instead, patients in Conflict will be allocated based on billing data (allocations 2 to 5).

Currently, there is no appeal process in place and no retroactive adjustments to panel size.

Alberta Health has determined the method for patient allocation. Whether you are live on CPAR or not, there is no method to manually upload your panel size for the PMSP.

Audit and declaration

AMA and Alberta Health haven’t agreed on the audit process for the TFP. Once the AMA knows the details, we will share the information with members. Rest assured that the AMA will support anyone who is selected for audit and will assist you with the process to ensure you comply.

Yes, they are different declarations. The PMSP and TFP are separate Alberta Health grant funded programs that require their own declaration. Please log in to the albertadoctors.org/dashboard/ to sign each declaration.

Eligible physicians that are AMA members can log into the member dashboard to sign the declaration online. Non-AMA members must email [email protected] to register as a member or pay a non-member registration fee.

CPAR

Patients that are on a physician’s CPAR conflict report (listed on two or more CPAR panels) are allocated according to subsequent cuts based on fee-for-service or shadow billing.

For a CPAR panel shared by two or more eligible physicians, program payment will be based on the total number of patients in the panel and the program payment will be split equally between the eligible physicians.

No. CPAR panel data is processed on a monthly basis. CII/CPAR’s systems do not support retroactive submission of panel data.

It does not impact how the TFP calculates a physician’s panel size; multiple panels are treated as an aggregated, single panel for the purposes of the TFP.