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Announcements

Last updated on April 10, 2024

On this page, important updates concerning Medical Services Commission policy, ACDF applications, and related documents can be found. Please check this page often for important updates that may affect your Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities application or Assignment of Payment.

​Assignment of Payment

Important process change for individuals submitting Diagnostic Facilities Services’ Assignment of Payment and Medical Director Authorization forms on behalf of health authority owned diagnostic facilities (October 30, 2023)

To meet current security standards, the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) is introducing an authentication of user process, required for health authority staff when submitting forms related to the diagnostic facility Assignment of Payment (AOP) process. Such forms include:

  • Diagnostic Facility Services Assignment of Payment & Medical Director Authorization (HLTH 1908)
  • Diagnostic Facility Services Cancellation of Assignment of Payment (HLTH 1926)

Health authority staff will authenticate using their unique health authority identification, through fixed site or mobile devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, or cell phone).

There are no changes to the AOP forms, the information required to complete the forms, or the AOP submission website, beyond a landing page where those submitting will authenticate their identity.

The AOP submission weblink address (URL) will not change. Details on the authentication process and the link for Health Authority facilities secure upload tool can be found at: AOP - Health Authority Owned Facilities. 

Assignment of Payment Form (PDF, 529KB)
Health Authority Owned Facilities – AOP Secure Upload Tool

Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities

New Digital Breast Tomosynthesis Fee Codes and Application Approval Process for Diagnostic Radiology Facilities (March 1, 2024)

Effective March 1, 2024, qualifying* Diagnostic Radiology facilities may bill the Medical Services Plan (MSP) for provision of Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) services. This expansion of Radiology services includes the following MSP fee items:  

  • 83046 – Digital Breast Tomosynthesis – unilateral
  • 83047 – Digital Breast Tomosynthesis – bilateral​

To bill MSP for DBT services, qualifying Diagnostic Radiology facilities must apply for expansion of services by completing Form B, Expansion: Services, Facility, Capacity, found at: ACDF Application and Notification Forms - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca). 

Applications must be submitted to Diagnostic Services using the Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities (ACDF) Secure Upload Tool which can be found here.  

Qualifying Diagnostic Radiology Facilities must submit applications on or before June 3, 2024, to receive immediate approval for DBT services.  

Applications received after June 3, 2024, will be forwarded to the next scheduled ACDF meeting for review and decision. 

Comments or questions concerning the new DBT services may be directed to DFadmin@gov.bc.ca. 

*To be considered eligible for DBT services, the Radiology facility must: 

  • Hold ACDF approval for Radiology fee items: 
    • ​08610 – Mammography - unilateral 
    • 08611 – Mammography - bilateral 
  • Be accredited for mammography and DBT through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC’s Diagnostic Accreditation Program. 

Moratorium on Applications for Diagnostic Outpatient Ultrasound Facilities Extended, with Modifications (October 25, 2023)

On October 25, 2023, the Medical Services Commission (the Commission) of British Columbia extended the current moratorium on applications for diagnostic outpatient ultrasound facilities. This extension was determined to be necessary due to the continued shortage of ultrasound sonographers in the province.

Currently scheduled to end December 1, 2023, the moratorium on applications for diagnostic outpatient ultrasound facilities has been extended, with modifications, until December 1, 2025.

 Follow the link below for the full details of the Commission’s announcement concerning its moratorium on applications for diagnostic outpatient ultrasound facilities.

Exceptions Process - Moratorium on Applications for Diagnostic Outpatient Ultrasound Facilities 

Qualifying facilities who seek an exception to the moratorium based on demonstrated urgent health or safety needs must complete and submit a request for moratorium exception consideration (PDF, 210KB). 

Moratorium on Applications for New, Expanded or Relocated Polysomnography Facilities Lifted (September 30, 2022)

On September 30, 2022 the moratorium on applications for new, expanded or relocated polysomnography facilities was lifted. The moratorium had been in place since 2019 while the Ministry undertook, on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities and the Medical Services Commission, a detailed review of the service delivery environment for diagnostic sleep medicine in British Columbia.

Follow the link below for the full text of the Commission’s announcement.

For more information, please email Diagnostic Facilities Administration (DFadmin@gov.bc.ca)

Temporary Moratorium on Applications for Diagnostic Outpatient Ultrasound Facilities (Updated April 13, 2022)

On April 13, 2022, the Medical Services Commission of British Columbia extended its temporary moratorium on applications for new, relocation or expansion of diagnostic outpatient ultrasound facilities, with the exception of those fee items currently restricted to public hospitals, i.e. Echocardiography and (cardiac) Doppler Studies. Originally scheduled to end June 1, 2022, the moratorium on applications for diagnostic outpatient ultrasound facilities has now been extended until December 1, 2023.

Applications for addition of services to an existing ultrasound Certificate of Approval will continue to be accepted.

Follow the link below for the full text of the Commission’s announcement concerning its moratorium on applications for diagnostic outpatient ultrasound facilities.

Exceptions to the moratorium may be made for demonstrated urgent health or safety needs. However, the Commission will only accept a moratorium request for exception from applicants with at least one facility that holds a current ultrasound or radiology Certificate of Approval from the Medical Services Commission, or the Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities, except in rare/exceptional circumstances.

Positive Airway Pressure Buyer’s Guide Resource Now Available

The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce the finalization of a new resource to support patients when purchasing a Positive Airway Pressure device in relation to a sleep disordered breathing diagnosis.

The Buyer’s guide (linked below) is one of several educational outcomes of the Ministry’s review of the service delivery environment for diagnostic sleep testing in British Columbia, which began in February 2019.

The Buyer’s Guide details considerations that are important when purchasing a device, including:

  • Machine and mask types
  • Machine options and features
  • Funding options
  • Provider details, including location

The Buyer’s Guide does not endorse any particular therapy and is not a substitute for expert clinic advice. Rather, it is intended to augment current informational materials that may be provided to patients and referring practitioners.

Positive Airway Pressure Buyer's Guide (PDF, 203KB)

Qualifying Home Sleep Apnea Testing Facilities Now Eligible to Bill the Medical Services Plan for Diagnostic Sleep Testing (January 1, 2022)

The Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the Medical Services Commission, is pleased to announce that as of January 1, 2022, qualifying accredited home sleep apnea testing facilities will be eligible to bill the Medical Services Plan for the provision of four channel home polysomnography, also known as home sleep apnea testing or Level III diagnostic sleep testing.

To support this initiative, the province is investing up to approximately $5 million dollars a year in additional funding, making British Columbia the only jurisdiction in Canada to allow accredited stand-alone home sleep apnea testing  facilities to bill the public insurance plan (B.C.’s Medical Services Plan).

In order to qualify for funding, home sleep apnea testing facilities must have applied for accreditation from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia by June 2, 2021, and attained a Certificate of Approval from the Medical Services Commission’s Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities.

To better understand the impact of the province’s additional investment in diagnostic sleep testing, effective January 1, 2022, the Medical Services Commission imposed a five-year moratorium on further applications for new, expanded or relocated stand-alone home sleep apnea testing facilities to bill the Medical Services Plan.

The ability for qualifying stand-alone home sleep apnea testing facilities to bill the Medical Services Plan represents one of the final actions from the Ministry’s detailed review of the service delivery environment for diagnostic sleep testing in British Columbia. Previous outcomes include: formal accreditation of home sleep apnea testing facilities through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.’s Diagnostic Accreditation Program; a provincial standard requisition form for home sleep apnea testing (accessible here); and  a new clinical guideline, Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Assessment and Management in Adults (accessible here).

For more information, please email Diagnostic Facilities Administration (DFadmin@gov.bc.ca).

Available Now: New Clinical Guideline for Assessment and Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults (November 25, 2021)

The Medical Services Commission’s Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.’s Diagnostic Accreditation Program, is pleased to announce the finalization of an important new clinical guideline: Assessment and Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Adults.

The guideline is designed to provide referring practitioners with clinical advice relating to adult patients with suspected OSA, including:

  • appropriate physical examination
  • correct testing, referral and interpretation of results
  • treatment options, management and follow-up
  • OSA risk factors and risks of untreated/undertreated OSA,
  • applicable patient pathways – from examination to treatment and monitoring

The new guideline is an important companion and guidance resource to the previously released provincial Standard Requisition for Home Sleep Apnea Testing (available here). With the completion of both the assessment and management of OSA guideline and the provincial Standard Requisition, referring practitioners are better supported to identify, diagnose and manage patients with OSA.

The Assessment and Management of OSA in Adults guideline is accessible here.

Select non-cardiac Doppler studies may now be provided at qualifying Community Imaging Clinics

Effective October 27, 2021, select non-cardiac Doppler studies may be provided at qualifying Community Imaging Clinics (CICs). The expansion of services includes the following Medical Services Plan fee items:

  • 08660 – Abdominal duplex – native/transplant liver/kidney,
  • 08670 – Peripheral venous – deep venous system and
  • 08676 – Carotid imaging – duplex scanning of neck vessels

The provision of select non-cardiac Doppler studies at qualifying CICs began as a pilot program in late 2017. 

In 2021, after extending the pilot program for one year due to impacts of COVID-19, the Ministry evaluated the impact of the program and found that CICs can effectively provide select non-cardiac Doppler studies and that wider implementation may benefit patients and potentially serve to relieve some pressure on hospital outpatient ultrasound services.

To be considered eligible for additional non-cardiac Doppler services, CICs must hold, at minimum:

  • Full Ultrasound Category II (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
  • Limited Category IV – Three Fee Items:
    • 08648 – Abdominal B-Scan
    • 08649 – Renal B-Scan
    • 08658 – Extremity B-Scan
  • a satisfactory clinical placement agreement with a Ministry of Advanced Education recognized (ultrasound) Diagnostic Medical Sonography training institution in British Columbia.

Interested CICs may apply for expansion of services by completing Form B, Expansion: Services, Facility, Capacity (available here).

As such an application would be for the addition of services to an existing ultrasound Certificate of Approval, the current moratorium on applications for new, relocated or expanded diagnostic ultrasound facilities does not apply.

Comments or questions concerning the expansion of non-cardiac Doppler services to Community Imaging Clinics may be directed to: DFadmin@gov.bc.ca

Transfer of Material Financial Interest Application (Updated June 25, 2021)

Effective June 25, 2021, the Ministry of Health implemented a new application for Transfer of Material Financial Interest of an Existing Privately-Owned Diagnostic Facility. A Transfer of Material Financial Interest occurs when facility owners seek to transfer 10% or more of the shares in a corporation, partnership or association that owns a diagnostic facility approved to bill the Medical Services Plan for specific outpatient diagnostic services.

As authorized by the Medical and Health Care Services Regulation (S. 43) and detailed in Policy 3.1 (Transfer of Ownership) of the Policies and Guidelines of the Medical Services Commission’s Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities (ACDF), privately-owned facilities must seek approval from the ACDF prior to transfer of a material financial interest.

The newly created application for Transfer of Material Financial Interest (Form E-1953) is intended for privately-owned facility owners seeking to make an application to the ACDF concerning such a Transfer of Material Interest.

To download, and submit the application, see:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/forms/1953fil.pdf

New Standard Requisition for Home Sleep Apnea Testing (June 30, 2021)

The Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Medical Service’s Commission’s Guidelines and Protocols Advisory Committee and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia is pleased to announce finalization of a provincial standard requisition form for home sleep apnea testing (HSAT).

This new form accessible here is one of several direct outcomes of the Ministry’s detailed review of the service delivery environment for the provision of sleep diagnostics in British Columbia and is now required for all practitioner referrals to accredited HSAT facilities.

The provincial standard requisition form is a key element of the newly established provincial accreditation standards for stand-alone HSAT facilities. Developed through the College’s Diagnostic Accreditation Program, HSAT facility accreditation standards provide a foundation for consistent and appropriate referrals and enhanced patient experiences with diagnostic sleep studies. Prior to the creation of accreditation standards, HSAT facilities operated without formally recognized clinical standards or governance oversight.

There are now more than 180 stand-alone HSAT facilities provincially that have achieved accreditation or are pending confirmation. When HSAT is the identified appropriate diagnostic test, practitioners are expected to refer only to an accredited facility. A list of accredited HSAT facilities is available on the College’s website.

With the provincial standard HSAT requisition form complete, focus will now shift to finalizing two associated referring practitioner guidelines: Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Assessment and Management in Adults and Sleep Disorders in Adults: Recognition and Referral. These guidelines are intended to align referring practitioners with accepted best practices and to contribute to improved patient care throughout British Columbia.

The provincial standard HSAT requisition form and associated guidelines are outcomes of a detailed Ministry review of diagnostic sleep issues in B.C.  More information on the Ministry’s review is accessible here.

Comments or questions concerning the new provincial standard HSAT requisition form  may be directed to: DFadmin@gov.bc.ca. 

Operational Changes Notification Form (Updated May 6, 2021)

The Medical Services Commission (MSC) of British Columbia has approved the new Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities (ACDF) Policy 5.1 – Operational Changes Requiring Notification. This new policy pertains to reporting of operational changes related to an MSC or ACDF approved facility (see Policies and Guidelines of the ACDF).

Effective May 6, 2021, the Ministry of Health implemented a new Operational Changes Notification Form which is designed for administrators to input and submit facility changes requiring notification.

As detailed in the “Policies and Guidelines of the Medical Services Commissions Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities”, facility owners must submit capacity-related information to ensure that the ACDF receives the data needed to monitor the capability, capacity and performance of diagnostic facilities and services.

The newly created Operational Changes Notification Form is intended to enable outpatient diagnostic facility owners/administrators to notify the ACDF concerning facility-related changes that do not require a formal application.

Temporary Moratorium on Applications for Diagnostic Outpatient Polysomnography Facilities (Updated September 16, 2020)

On September 16, 2020, the Medical Services Commission of British Columbia extended the temporary moratorium on applications for new, expanded or relocated outpatient polysomnography facilities across the province.

Previously scheduled to end September 30, 2020 the moratorium on applications for outpatient polysomnography has now been extended to September 30, 2022. Please note that this date may be adjusted if circumstances allow.

The extended moratorium applies to applications from both health authority and privately-owned facilities.

Applications for addition of services to an existing polysomnography Certificate of Approval will continue to be accepted.

The extension is in acknowledgement of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations of currently approved polysomnography facilities and in continued support of the Medical Services Commission’s Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities and its support staff in their work concerning diagnostic sleep medicine in British Columbia.

Follow the link below for the full text of the Commission’s announcement.

Extended Diagnostic Polysomnography Moratorium (PDF, 42KB)

Diagnostic Sleep Medicine Review (June 24, 2020)

Since February 2019, the Ministry of Health’s Diagnostic Services business unit, on behalf of the Medical Services Commission and its Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities, has been engaged in a detailed review of the service delivery environment for the provision of sleep studies in British Columbia.

This review has included an in-depth jurisdictional scan of diagnostic sleep testing policy and practices both in Canada and internationally, a literature and scientific review and broad stakeholder engagement, which has included referring practitioners, sleep experts, operators of home sleep apnea testing facilities and patients.

Through the review and stakeholder engagement, three areas of primary need emerged, including:

  • Development of clinical standards for home sleep apnea testing facilities.
  • Education for referring physicians.
  • Improving wait time reporting from approved polysomnography facilities.

We are pleased to present the final report, including recommendations for improving the provision of diagnostic sleep services in British Columbia. 

The Ministry of Health would like to thank the many stakeholders who gave of their time and provided valuable input throughout this review.

We look forward to continuing to work collectively to improve the provision of sleep diagnostics in British Columbia.

The report and appendices can be accessed by clicking on the individual links below.

Please direct any questions concerning the review and/or its outcomes and recommendations to DFAdmin@gov.bc.ca.

Diagnostic Sleep Medicine Report – Final (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 457KB)

Appendix A: Untreated OSA Patient Risks and Economic Impact – Final (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 281KB)
Appendix B: Polysomnography Beds per 100k population – Final (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 132KB)
Appendix C: Polysomnography and Sleep Medicine Jurisdictional Scan – Final (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 1.2MB)
Appendix D: Polysomnography Literature and Scientific Review – Final Draft (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 712KB)
Appendix E: Sleep Medicine Patient Pathways – Final (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 312KB)
Appendix F: Technician and Medical Practitioner Competency Tables – Final Draft (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 157KB)
Appendix G: Referring Practitioners Survey Summary – Final (June 24, 2020) (PDF, 201KB)

Electromyography (EMG) Policy (Updated May 27, 2020)

On May 27, 2020 the Medical Services Commission approved a revision to the Electromyography (EMG) Policy which provides health authorities the ability to withdraw support for an existing privately-owned outpatient diagnostic EMG Certificate of Approval, physically located within one of its facilities.

Electromyography (EMG)

If an individual is seeking a privately-owned Certificate of Approval to be operated within a publicly-owned diagnostic facility,

  1. the application must include an appropriate letter of support from the representative, or authorized delegate, of the publicly-owned diagnostic facility, and
     
  2. the service is to be provided to a beneficiary on an outpatient basis, and
     
  3. support for the privately-owned outpatient EMG Certificate of Approval, operating within a health authority facility, may be withdrawn upon 90 days’ written notice from the representative, or authorized delegate, of the publicly-owned diagnostic facility, to the Medical Services Commission and the individual-physician owner.

See pages 21-22 of the Policies and Guidelines of the Advisory Committee on Diagnostic Facilities (PDF, 573KB)

Pulmonary Function (Spirometry) Policy (Updated March 1, 2019)

On December 5, 2018, the Medical Services Commission approved a set of Ministry of Health recommendations concerning provision of outpatient spirometry services in privately-owned facilities/practitioners’ offices. This approval:

  • Allows appropriately credentialed, private-office practitioners to bill the Medical Services Plan for provision of the Flow Volume Loop (FVL) aspect of spirometry.
  • Removes the requirement for a specialist consultation prior to spirometry testing.
  • Allows for approval upon application from appropriately credentialed* physicians practicing in an accredited facility.

These changes are intended to increase access to full spirometry testing (data and graphic interpretation) in community settings, with the goal of improving early detection of respiratory diseases, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

*Physicians may use the following summary to help identify eligibility, however the BC Medical Quality Initiative (BCQMI) Privileging Dictionaries are the key reference documents and may be found at:  http://bcmqi.ca/credentialing-privileging/dictionaries/view-dictionaries

Spirometry

For simple, numeric spirometry, the physician must meet one of the following:

  1. Be registrant in the specialty class of respirology, pediatric respirology, occupational medicine, or clinical immunology and allergy; or
  2. Be registrant of the specialty class of internal medicine, pediatrics, critical care medicine, or general/family practice class, AND has completed appropriate training reflective of the scope of the privileges requested to the satisfaction of the medical director and the DAP committee; or
  3. Has been approved for Spirometry by the Diagnostic Accreditation Program prior to January 1, 2011.

Flow Volume Loop

For FVL studies, the physician must meet one of the following:

  1. Be registrant in the specialty class of respirology, pediatric respirology, occupational medicine, or clinical immunology and allergy; or
  2. Be registrant of the specialty class of general internal medicine, pediatrics, critical care medicine, AND completed appropriate training reflective of the scope of the practice requested to the satisfaction of the medical director and the DAP committee.

Other Pulmonary Function Testing

For all other pulmonary function testing, the physician must meet credentialing requirements outlined above for FVL, however all other testing may ONLY be provided in health authority facilities (hospitals).

In addition to the requirements outlined above, the physician must have maintained an adequate volume of current clinical experience reflective of the scope of the practice requested and demonstrate current experience based on results of ongoing professional practice evaluation outcomes including peer review and/or the Diagnostic Accreditation Program’s Quality Control program.