The Northern and Isolation Travel Assistance Outreach Program (NITAOP) provides funding for approved physicians who visit rural and isolated communities to provide medical services.
The Program:
- Provides a travel time honorarium for approved visiting specialists and general practitioners.
- Health Authorities submit requests for visiting specialists to the NITAOP Program.
Eligibility for Family Medicine Physicians
- General practitioners are eligible for funding to visit eligible RSA communities where a general practitioner is not available in the community within 105 km.
- A maximum of 48 visits per community per year may be approved.
Eligibility for Visiting Specialists
- Eligibility for each specialty service sought is assessed individually.
- Specialists are eligible for funding to visit eligible RSA communities where a specialist of the same specialty is not available withing 105 km of the community.
- The maximum number of visits per specialty for each community per year is 24.
- Specialty services eligible for funding (when not supported by other Outreach Programs) include:
- ENT
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Internal Medicine (including subspecialty services)
- General Surgery
- Methadone Program
- Neurology
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Paediatrics
- Plastic Surgery
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Urology
Travel Reimbursement
- Reimbursement will be paid directly to approved visiting physicians by MSP upon receipt of their travel expense form and applicable original receipts for each visit.
- Travel expense forms and receipts must be submitted before June 30th for the previous fiscal year.
Travel Time
- Approved physicians are entitled to a travel time honorarium.
- Travel time is calculated from the time the physician leaves his or her residence/office to the time of arrival in the community, and from the time the physician leaves the community to the time of arrival in their residence/office.
- Travel time will be reimbursed per return trip as follows:
Less than 4 hours = $500.00
Over 4 hours = $1,000.00
Greater than 10 hours = $1,500.00
Making Requests
- Funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year are reviewed by the Joint Standing Committee at the beginning of the calendar year.
- Funding requests for the upcoming fiscal year are submitted in writing by the appropriate health authority prior to November 1st.
For travel expenses and claims contact:
NITAOP Program
3-2, 1515 Blanshard St
Victoria BC V8W 3C8
ph: 250 952-1104
fax: 250 952-3486
Complete Application for Expenses.
For general program inquiries contact:
Rural Practice Programs:
Physician Compensation
Rural Practice Programs
Ministry of Health Services
3-2, 1515 Blanshard St
Victoria BC V8W 3C8
ph: 250 952-2754
fax: 250 952-3486
email: HLTH.RuralPrograms@gov.bc.ca
website: Ministry of Health Services
BC Medical Association
#115 – 1665 West Broadway
Vancouver BC V6J 5A4
ph: 604 736-5551 or 1 800 665-2262
email: ruralprograms@bcma.bc.ca
website: BCMA
