Clinical Alternative Relationship Plan (cARP) compensation

What is a Clinical ARP?

A clinical ARP is a physician compensation model that provides an alternative to the fee-for-service (FFS) payment method. It compensates physicians for providing a set of clinical services at defined facilities to a target patient population. Clinical ARPs can help to align physician compensation incentives with overall health system objectives. For some physicians, simply being paid differently can enable them to deliver services in a manner better suited to them and their patients.

Clinical ARP overview

AMA advocacy

The AMA continues to advocate and negotiate on behalf of physician programs that are having particular difficulty attracting and retaining physicians.

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Clinical ARP Principles

  • Participation is voluntary
  • Professional autonomy is maintained
  • Partnerships between physicians, AHS and/or other healthcare organizations, where appropriate
  • Clear eligibility criteria and terms of agreements
  • Utilize best practice and standards of care
  • Fair and equitable payment rates
  • Support for infrastructure and tools - physicians, AHS and/or other healthcare organizations have a responsibility to ensure success, including providing management infrastructure, management information systems, leadership functions, reporting and evaluation
  • Monitoring and evaluation – physician development of performance measures, and reporting and outcomes

AMA representation and support

The joint AH-AMA ARP Working Group brings together AMA physician leaders and Alberta Health representatives to inform the AH-AMA Management Committee on cARP policy and improvements to alternative physician compensation models.

The internal AMA cARP Working Group brings together AMA physician leaders involved in cARPs to understand and advocate for the needs and concerns of current and prospective cARP physicians.