More details on the tentative Ontario doctors' pay agreement

Canadian Medicine has obtained a copy of today's message from Ontario Medical Association president Dr Ken Arnold to the association's members, announcing the endorsement of the tentative agreement with the government. Here it is, in full:

From: Ontario Medical Association
Sent: Mon 15/09/2008 09:52
To: ---------------
Subject: President's Update: Tentative Agreement Reached!

OMA President's Update


Volume 13, No. 24

September 15, 2008

Tentative Agreement Reached!


Dear Colleague:

The OMA Board of Directors has unanimously endorsed a tentative four-year Physician Services Agreement with government. Our Negotiations Committee presented a proposal to the Board for review late last week. After very careful consideration, the Board has voted unanimously to approve the offer, and recommend it to members.

The purpose of this bulletin is to notify you that we have a proposed contract - we wanted to ensure that you hear it from the OMA first!

The fee component of the Tentative Agreement provides for a 12.25% increase in fees over the term of the Agreement. The amount available in each year for fee adjustments is as follows:

October 1, 2008 3%
October 1, 2009 2%
October 1, 2010 3%
September 1, 2011 4.25%

One-half of the fee adjustment will be allocated to each OHIP specialty on an equal percentage basis. The remaining half of the adjustment will be used to correct disparities in intersectional relativity. Non-fee-for-service physicians will receive an equivalent adjustment on payments for clinical services.

The Tentative Agreement also includes an additional $240 million in new ongoing program funding, and an additional $100 million in one-time incentive funds.

Program changes include:

• $40 million to adjust Most Responsible Physician (MRP) care codes (C122, C123, C124, admission assessments, subsequent visits and hospital consultations).
• $20 million in operation funding for changes or expansion of the Hospital On-Call Coverage (HOCC) program.
• Up to 500 licensed nurses for eligible Patient Enrolment Model (PEM) physician groups.
• $38 million to establish new, or enhance existing, non-fee-for-service contracts in infectious disease, genetics, public health, psychiatry and geriatrics.
• Student interest relief and increases to the Clerkship Stipend.
• $100 million LHIN Physician Collaboration Incentive Fund for physician groups who work together and in collaboration with other service providers in targeted areas of care.
  

(Complete details of the new program and incentive funds will be set out in the Executive Summary.)

The Tentative Agreement will deliver approximately $1 billion in new funding to Ontario physicians, including fee changes, alternate payment plans and programs.

This has been a difficult negotiation. Government took a very tough stance on a number of our priority issues. We maintained our strategic focus, and the OMA Negotiations Committee effectively advanced our position. Just recently, we achieved movement at the table that resulted in the current proposal.

We are now mobilizing to develop documents, arrange for member information sessions, and implement plans for a member referendum and special Council meeting. The legal team is finalizing the drafting of the contract.

All information will be posted in the Negotiations 2008 Member Resource Centre on the OMA website as soon as possible (https://www.oma.org/members/negotiations/). We will provide summary documents, a Q & A file, and frequent updates via the OMA e-mail and fax network. We expect the initial materials will be available Wednesday, September 17.

You will be hearing from us often. A schedule of member information sessions will be circulated to the profession. We are working to arrange as many meetings as possible to allow for face-to-face discussions about the proposal.

We will establish as many communications channels as we can to allow for members to get what you need to make an informed decision.

The Board anticipates that the member referendum will take place October 8-15. We are hoping to provide members the option to cast their vote either by telephone or online. A Special Meeting of Council will be held October 18.

On behalf of the Board, I want to thank all of our members for your patience and support throughout the negotiations process. I also want to thank the members of our Negotiations Committee for their diligence and commitment on behalf of the profession.

The Board is very pleased that we have achieved a Tentative Agreement that received unanimous endorsement. We will be bringing you all the information that you need to interpret the value of this proposal for your practice.


Dr. Ken Arnold
OMA President


Feedback public_affairs@oma.org

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