General Guidelines

1. The physician must meet the following threshold eligibility requirements:

a. The physician must be in good standing with the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta.

b. The physician must be providing insured services within the province of Alberta.

c. The physician must meet other eligibility requirements as defined by POSP.

2. The physician must complete required POSP documentation including but not limited to:

a. POSP Application Form

b. POSP Physician Participation Agreement

c. POSP Enrolment Form

d. POSP Change Form (as required when any change in enrolment information occurs)

3. POSP funding is provided on a per physician basis.  The eligible funding/reimbursement amounts are outlined in the Phase 2, Phase 3 and Phase 4 sections below.

4. POSP does not cover any indirect physician office costs such as lost productivity resulting from information technology installation and/or training time for staff, except for the transition allowance funding as described below in these program guidelines.

5. POSP funding will not be provided where the physician receives or otherwise benefits from public funding or support for the physician office system solution from other sources.

6. Each physician is responsible for any tax consequences that may arise from this POSP financial assistance.  Each physician is encouraged to seek advice from their tax advisor on the treatment of POSP payments.

7. The physician must have submitted a privacy impact assessment to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) by the time of go-live on the physician office system solution.

8. The clinic project/relationship manager (or alternate designate) must participate in periodic meetings.

9. Change management services are offered by the program to assist with addressing the impact of office automation on a physician's practice. Eligible change management services are offered at no charge over and above the funding provided for the use of physician office systems. A description of POSP-eligible change management services is available.

10. POSP, at its discretion, may perform periodic audits as it relates to the Physician Office System Program in conformance with existing letters of agreement or physician/POSP agreements.

11. Contractual obligations between the clinic/physician/QSP are not the responsibility of POSP.

12. A physician may withdraw from POSP at any time. In these instances, the physician is required to immediately notify POSP of the change in status. POSP payments will cease upon notification.

13. The following "Bridge Funding" guidelines apply:

a.Any clinics currently receiving bridge funding will continue to receive this funding until December 31, 2009. No further bridge funding will be provided after this date.

b.Bridge funding will not be provided in any other situation.

14. Funded leaves are available under the circumstances outlined below. In all leave cases, a physician must notify POSP when he/she starts and ends a leave of absence. POSP will waive the requirement to meet usage measures during the absence period.

a. Parental leave: Payments can continue to the participating physician for up to one year, provided the clinic continues to operate through the use of locum or other physician support. If the physician does not return to practice after one year, funding will be terminated and the replacement physician (if any) will be encouraged to apply to the program.

b. Disability leave: Where a physician is disabled and unable to practice, funding can continue for up to one year provided the clinic continues to operate through the use of locum or other physician support. For the funding to continue beyond one year, proof of disability is required. If it is unlikely that the physician will return to work, funding will be terminated and the replacement physician (if any) will be encouraged to apply to POSP.

c. Sabbatical leave: Payments can continue to the participating physician for up to one year, provided the clinic continues to operate through the use of locum or other physician support. If the physician does not return to the practice after one year, funding will be terminated and the replacement physician (if any) will be encouraged to apply to POSP.

15. If a physician withdraws from POSP and wishes to re-enter, he/she should submit an enrolment form to POSP.

16. A physician who is unable to meet general responsibilities or usage measures as defined in these program guidelines is subject to the following:

a. A change management advisor should be contacted immediately upon identification of any issue. The change management advisor can assist the physician in developing a plan for resolving identified issues.

b. If identified issues have not been resolved within three months of identification, reimbursement will be suspended until issues have been resolved to the satisfaction of POSP.

c. Missed reimbursements resulting from inability to meet requirements will not be retroactively reimbursed by POSP.

d. Phase 2 and Phase 3 physicians who have not resolved identified issues within the three-month period will be removed from the respective funding program and are eligible to reapply to the Phase 4 program.

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