FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                          April 4, 2023

WHITEHORSE – In the wake of a report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) on reducing red tape for doctors, the Yukon Party Official Opposition is proposing the Liberal government streamline payments to doctors and lessen physicians’ administrative burden.

The CFIB report estimates the hours Yukon doctors spent doing unnecessary paperwork and administrative tasks is equivalent to over 50,000 patient visits per year.

“The Liberal government’s doctor payment system is cumbersome, and adds a large administrative burden on local doctors,” said Health and Social Services Critic Brad Cathers. “CFIB is now joining previous calls from the Canadian Medical Association and the Yukon Medical Association to reduce the administrative burden on doctors so they can see more patients. This in turn would help Yukoners on the wait list who need a family doctor.”

The Yukon Party is suggesting the government look at the payment systems in other jurisdictions that use a more efficient system that prioritizes patient care over paperwork.

In addition, the Yukon Party has heard from Yukon physicians that the Liberal government’s cumbersome physician payment system is making it hard to convince doctors to move to the Yukon, or to provide locum coverage. No one wants to wait over three months to get paid, and new graduates from medical school cannot wait that long to pay their student loans.

You can find the CFIB report here. The Yukon number is included in a graph on page 9.

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Contact:
Tim Kucharuk
Press Secretary
(867) 393-7026