From crisis to care: building the real solution

5 minutes to change 341,000 lives

What's happening right now

Recent MSP billing changes will disrupt healthcare for around 5,000 British Columbians with ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Long COVID.

But this crisis affects 341,000 British Columbians total, because 98.5% already had no access to specialized care for these conditions.

This moment of disruption is our biggest opportunity to demand the comprehensive healthcare system everyone deserves.

Why this matters now

Budget 2026 decisions are happening right now. Your MLA needs to hear that healthcare equity is a priority for their constituents. We support proper billing compliance while demanding real alternatives that provide individual care, not temporary fixes.

For short term:

For the approximately 5,000 patients facing an immediate care gap, we propose that the Ministry of Health, Doctors of BC and the College of Physicians allocate a small team of physicians to provide telehealth services specifically for our population. This stopgap measure should:

Ensure continuity of care during service disruptions
Maintain proper individual assessments and documentation standards
Provide specialized knowledge about ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, and Long COVID
Bridge patients to long-term sustainable care solutions

For long term:

The multi party committee has released its report and their consultation identified the exact priorities our solutions address:

ME Pilot Integration into Community Health Centres: Implementing Committee Recommendations 27 (chronic disease investment), 31 (community health centres), and 36 (team-based care) Using existing infrastructure and the CARGA agreement, 2-3 pilot CHCs could demonstrate scalable models with team-based care and proper funding. This directly advances the Committee's vision for "targeted investments in chronic diseases" while supporting their endorsed "community health centre model" and "team-based primary care approach."

Severe ME Care Gap Solutions: Delivering on Committee Recommendations 29 (home care services) and 32a (digital health solutions)Home-based medical services and specialized telehealth for the 85,250 British Columbians who cannot leave their homes. This implements the Committee's call for "funding for home and community care services" and "expanded access through digital health care solutions," specifically addressing the homebound population they identified.

Workforce Development: Advancing Committee Recommendations 27 (effective treatment) and 37 (allied health workforce) Comprehensive education to rapidly expand care capacity across the province, addressing the knowledge gap among 80% of clinicians. This delivers the "effective treatment of chronic diseases" the Committee prioritized while expanding "involvement and scope of practice of allied health workforce professionals" across multiple healthcare disciplines.

Ready to transform crisis into care? Start here:

Send your letter in 4 simple steps

STEP 1: Get MLA contact info: leg.bc.ca/find-mla

STEP 2: Get your letter template

For NDP MLA (Government) Use Template A

- emphasizes partnership in implementing their priorities

For Opposition MLA (Conservative/Green/Independent)

Use Template B

- emphasizes accountability for government's own consultation findings

Step 3 (Optional): Choose your Voice

Templates work perfectly as-is, but you can add a personal section:

Patient/Person with lived experience
Healthcare worker
Family member/caregiver
Community ally

STEP 4: Send / track and share

harps-joseph-tAvpDE7fXgY-unsplash_edited

Copy your template, add your personal details if you want, and send.

Email Setup:

TO: Your MLA's email
CC: HLTH.Minister@gov.bc.ca; premier@gov.bc.ca; mymlaandme@mefm.bc.ca
SUBJECT: Strategic Partnership: Implementing Budget 2026 Priorities for 341,000 British Columbians

Forward any MLA response to mymlaandme@mefm.bc.ca.

Then share this campaign with 3 people.

Download full PDF for offline use

After you send your letter:

We coordinate strategic follow-up emphasizing partnership opportunities

We track implementation progress and share updates with participants

Positive responses lead to coordinated meetings focusing on Committee priority implementation

Media coverage emphasizes successful government priority alignment

Campaign results inform next phase of strategic partnership advocacy

de-andre-bush-FZmqEi6wZpA-unsplash_edite

Frequently asked questions

Understanding the current situation

?

Q: Why don't you just fight to preserve the existing clinic model?

A: We understand patients found hope and some relief through existing services, and we honor that experience. However, we've been explicitly informed that no exceptions will be made to MSP compliance requirements. Rather than spend limited advocacy energy on something that's been decided against, we're focusing on building comprehensive solutions that can actually be implemented and serve all 341,000 British Columbians with these conditions.

Q: Don't you support patient choice in their healthcare?

A: Absolutely. But true choice requires actual options. When 98.5% of people with these conditions have no access to specialized care, and the remaining 1.5% must choose between group models or nothing, that's not real choice—that's system failure. We're advocating for comprehensive options so everyone has genuine choices about their care.

Q: Are you saying the previous clinic model was harmful?

A: We're saying the healthcare system that forced both patients and providers into these models is harmful. Providers are working within impossible constraints. The harm comes from a system that abandons people with complex chronic illnesses, not from individuals trying to help within that broken system.

?

Q: Where will you find physicians for telehealth services when there's already a shortage?

A: Our immediate telehealth proposal is targeted, not comprehensive. It focuses on specific functions like:

Prescription renewals for stable patients
Basic monitoring and follow-up
Transition support during care gaps
Reducing burden on existing services

This requires training existing physicians in basic competencies, not finding rare specialists. Our education component specifically addresses the fact that 80% of clinicians currently lack knowledge about these conditions.

Q: Will my MLA actually read this?

A: MLAs track constituent contacts about government priorities. Your letter shows support for implementing their Committee's recommendations. When multiple people write about the same Committee priorities, they notice.

Q: I'm too sick to do this well

A: Templates work perfectly as-is and emphasize the strategic alignment. Ask someone to help. Voice-to-text works great. Even a basic letter counts as support for government priorities.

Q: I don't know what to write

A: Use our templates! They're strategically crafted to emphasize alignment with government's own Budget Committee priorities. Just add your personal details.

Q: What happens after I send it?

A: Forward any MLA response to us at mymlaandme@mefm.bc.ca. We coordinate strategic follow-up emphasizing partnership opportunities and track which MLAs are engaging positively.

Multiply your impact

Ask others to join the strategic partnership:

Text message to friends:

"Government identified healthcare priorities for 341,000 British Columbians—now we need implementation. Takes 5 minutes: mefm.bc.ca/from-crisis-to-care."

Email to family:

"I'm supporting implementation of government healthcare priorities through a strategic letter to my MLA. Join me: mefm.bc.ca/from-crisis-to-care."

Social media:

"Strategic partnership in action: implementing government priorities for 341,000 British Columbians. Join the campaign: mefm.bc.ca/from-crisis-to-care, #FromCrisisToCare"

Get everything offline

Includes:

Template A (NDP MLAs)
Template B (Opposition MLAs)

All 5 identity sections
Strategic alignment details

Follow-up instructions
Committee recommendation references

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE PACKAGE (PDF)