[ your name ] [ the date ]
[ your address and email ]
[ name of MLA ]
[ MLA address and email address ]
CC: Hon Josie Osborne, Minister of Health
Premier David Eby
Dear [ Mr./Mrs./Ms./Mx your MLAs full name ], MLA
Re: Protecting Access to Care for British Columbians with Complex Chronic Diseases
I am writing as a member of LifeLineBC, a grassroots group dealing with complex chronic diseases including Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Long COVID, and Fibromyalgia. These complex chronic diseases are characterized by intolerance to physical, cognitive, or emotional exertion. They are triggered by viral & bacterial infections, physical, emotional, & stress trauma. Patients often need several accommodations, including access to virtual care over in-person as they are either too sick to travel or live in rural areas. These disabling illnesses now affect hundreds of thousands of British Columbians, numbers that are steadily rising due to the impact of repeat COVID-19 infections.
Many of us depend entirely on one place for care: the BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia (BC-CLMF). This is the only provincially accessible, physician-attached clinic supporting complex chronic illness patients across BC. It is now facing collapse due to announced September 1st changes with MSP.
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The BC-CLMF has sustained itself through a revolutionary innovative telehealth model of care, which operates as follows:
A GP (General Practitioner) makes a referral for ME/CFS, Long COVID, or Fibromyalgia
Immediately, patients can access the educational sessions and materials online
The new patient is seen via Zoom by one of the two internists thereafter, almost all patient contact with the internists are in group visits over Zoom
In addition to those visits, patients can access:
30+ physician led & supported Zoom groups for symptom management, ranging from nutrition, socio-emotional factors, pain management, and evidence based strategies for surviving the condition
Lecture series, archived on YouTube, for convenient access/reference, about many topics relating to the condition
For example, a patient wanting a prescription for a new medication, will attend a virtual group medication visit through Zoom with other patients. Twenty minutes are devoted to explaining the medication; 40 minutes to answering patients’ questions, which furthers their understanding and education. Virtual Group medication visits typically have 40 - 60 patients. By comparison, it would take 3 GPs working full time just to see and write prescriptions for the patients of this clinic.
This model:
Optimizes the use of the specialists’ time
Reduces ER and family doctor visits, as well as potentially not needing other specialists
Delivers care to patients who cannot physically come to the clinic, either because of their disabling condition or because they live in rural/ secluded areas
Provides holistic care for diseases that need system wide treatment
Supports patient self-management and education
Costs a fraction of what traditional 1:1 visits would
Is the most effective way so far to tackle the extremely long waitlists for diagnosis
Minimizes the number of health care professionals required to deliver care
While BC also funds the Post-COVID-19 Interdisciplinary Clinical Care Network, it is not a meaningful alternative since it is only available for those with a post covid diagnosis. Patients with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, or other complex chronic diseases are not eligible to apply. Furthermore, this network only offers high level patient care for the duration of 12 months after which, regardless of improvement, or lack thereof, they are automatically discharged. They are often referred to the BC-CLMF for continuation of care.
The Complex Chronic Diseases Program (CCDP) is not a viable alternative either. It has a years-long waitlist, requires in person treatment, and limits care to 12 months regardless of patient improvement. Upon discharge, many patients are referred to the BC-CLMF for continuation of care.
Both of these programs also simply do not have the CAPACITY to tend to this large patient population that is growing, nor can they absorb the BC-CLMF patients if the clinic collapses. This is not a situation where patients can simply “go elsewhere.” ERs, family doctors, and most specialists do not have the training or tools to safely treat these conditions. Many patients are homebound. Without the virtual, specialist-led group care the BC-CLMF offers, we simply do not have access to health care.
This is a working model, a rare success story, that helps the system by helping patients. The MORE that are seen, the MORE that can be treated. Minister Osborne has an opportunity to protect this vulnerable population, not by reversing a single policy, but by finding a viable, sustainable funding solution for a proven care model. We are not prescribing the fix. We are giving your government the chance to act- you have the responsibility to decide what happens next. Without timely action, BC risks losing the only coordinated, large-scale care program supporting this group of patients. Reducing access to this clinic would drastically increase wait times for patients which adds years of suffering to this growing population, and ultimately limits the reach of effective, evidence-based care.
Larger virtual group medical visits and education sessions are not only more cost-effective, they maintain a high standard of care by doctors educated in our conditions, with strong outcomes in engagement, peer support, and satisfaction.
If nothing is done as of September 1st:
Wait times will INCREASE even more due to additional ER, GP, and specialists visits.
Quality of care will DECREASE, with rushed, less-informed (or not informed at all) providers.
Access will be REMOVED for patients living in remote areas or too ill to travel.
A scalable, cost-saving, clinically sound model will be DESTROYED
The forced changes coming to this clinic make no sense. This is a moment of choice. BC has a chance to lead- to show that equity, evidence, and innovation still have a place in our healthcare system. Please speak with Minister Osborne and request that she take immediate action to preserve this model and protect these patients.
A Request
This is urgent. Please act before September 1st, 2025.
This poses a serious political and economical problem for you: why would a government choose a system which offers a much lower standard of care, completely removes accessibility to those who need it the most, while impacting the rest of the population with even worse wait times for medical care?
I would appreciate your response with a convenient time to meet or have a phone call so we can further discuss this with you. If you would like further data- cost comparisons, utilization figures, or have direct contact with the clinic, I’d be happy to facilitate that, you can simply reply to this email.
Thank you for your attention and service to your constituents.
Kind regards,
[ type name ]
Digitally signed
CC Hon Josie Osborne, Minister of Health
Premier David Eby
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