---
title: "BC long COVID clinic faces cut to online group session size starting November 1"
description: "The Medical Services Plan is reducing the number of patients allowed in online group appointments at the BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia from 50 to 30, and cutting the per-patient fee from $14.71 to $11.42, starting Sunday November 1."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-long-covid-clinic-cuts-online-group-sessions-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-10-30T21:37:57.057Z"
---

BC's Medical Services Plan is reducing the cap on patients per online group appointment at the province's long COVID clinic from 50 to 30, and cutting the per-patient fee from $14.71 to $11.42, starting November 1. The Vancouver Sun reported on October 30.

The changes affect the BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia (BC-CLMF), a Vancouver clinic that treats patients with long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis, PoTS and fibromyalgia through online group appointments. The clinic has more than 8,500 patients, according to the Vancouver Sun.

The cuts were made by the outgoing NDP government through the Ministry of Health. The clinic estimates more than 300,000 British Columbians are living with long COVID, and 78,000 of them are youth, the Vancouver Sun reported.

## What the ministry and the clinic say

The BC Ministry of Health told the Vancouver Sun the changes were developed over a year. In May 2026, the clinic confirmed in writing that its model could be financially viable with a 30-patient cap. The clinic now says that agreement assumed the per-patient fee would stay the same, and did not anticipate the fee being cut at the same time.

Ministry of Health communication staff are in caretaker mode after the election and are not taking questions, according to the Vancouver Sun.

## What the new government says

The incoming Conservative government has not been sworn in. A Conservative Party spokesperson told the Vancouver Sun: "Once we're in office, we'll look at it carefully." No decision on reversing the changes has been announced.

## Patient advocacy

Lifeline BC, a BC patient advocacy group, is calling on the incoming government to reverse the changes. The group says the reduction in group session size limits access to care for patients who depend on the clinic and cannot easily see specialists in other ways.

BC residents with long COVID or other chronic conditions treated by the BC-CLMF can contact the clinic or Lifeline BC (lifelinebc.ca) to find out how the November 1 change affects their care. The incoming Conservative government has promised to look at the matter once sworn in.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.