Longitudinal Family Medicine Update on Panel Complexity Webinar

The LFM payment model has included an interim community complexity modifier to account for variations in socio-economic status in different communities. This calculation is currently based on a physician’s community of practice, but work has been underway to create a more accurate calculation to reflect the actual medical complexity of a physician’s specific patient panel.

The Department of Health and Wellness (DHW) has been working with Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS) to develop a panel complexity index (PCI), which has been shared with a few physicians for feedback over the past few months. It will be shared with LFM physicians in October and will be reflected on your quarterly reports. Your feedback on the new PCI will help to inform the index method over the coming months. This is similar to how the panel algorithm was built, with physician feedback shaping the final product.

Please note that the new PCI will not immediately impact physician compensation. The current community complexity modifier will continue to be in effect until the next round of negotiations. At that time, DNS and DHW will work together to determine how best to transition from the community complexity modifier to the PCI for compensation purposes. This will allow time for physician feedback to be incorporated into the PCI and it will also allow physicians time to improve their billing data to ensure they are using the appropriate diagnostic/ICD codes (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems).

We believe the new PCI is a well thought through calculation that considers the data available from throughout the health system.

So as not to interrupt summer vacation plans, we’ll host a session in September to provide you with the details on this new panel complexity calculation. We want to provide these dates early, so you’re able to schedule accordingly.

Webinar 
We’ll host a webinar on two dates for physicians interested in learning more about the new PCI; please register for the session that works best for you:

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 
Register here

OR

Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025 
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 
Register here

We’ll also record the session and make it available to physicians who can’t attend the webinars.

We know the PCI is welcome news for physicians who have felt the interim modifier was not sophisticated enough to account for the full complexity of their patient panels. Please plan to attend the session to better understand the changes to the LFM payment model and to ask any questions you may have.

As always, thank you for your care of Nova Scotians – those in your practice and in your community.