We've heard from many of you since our Year 3 announcement last week. We've updated our FAQs to address your recent questions about the agreement and if this deal impacts negotiations for the next PSA. Missed the announcement? Catch up on the board chair alerts
on Year 3, and the Year 1 early arbitration.
Kimberly Moran gives CBC interview about family physician compensation. Our CEO highlighted new analysis that shows inflation has grown by 25.4 per cent over the past 10 years, while family physician average billings have grown by only 6.1 per cent. She stressed that we need funding to keep up with inflation, as well as system-level solutions tackling administrative burden and expanding team-based primary care. Tune in to CBC News next week for the story.
Fee code changes coming for elective surgeries and procedures
The Ministry of Health is ending after-hours premiums for elective surgeries and procedures, taking effect March 31. We were successful in advocating for the extension of these fee codes previously as part of the temporary COVID-19 physician funding.
Beginning April 1, the fee codes E409 and E410 will now only be eligible for billing when used for certain non-elective procedures and surgeries, or for an elective procedure delayed or started after-hours because of an intervening surgical emergency. Please see page GP104 in the current OHIP Schedule for full payment rules.
Tools to help save you time and money
We’ve developed a list of practical resources to help you improve your billing and save you time.
Improving documentation: This OMA Learns module can help you find efficiencies in documentation to save you time. Downloadable resources are available for reference
Optimizing scheduling webinar: Dr. Anish Mody, a family physician and practice management expert, hosts a webinar on April 17 on finding efficiencies in your practice through scheduling
We have openings on two committees for members who want to make a difference in their areas of expertise:
Health policy: One position is available to support the development of our policy agenda. It includes monitoring progress on our health policy goals, reviewing policies and submissions as needed and advising on emerging issues
Relativity advisory: Two positions are open for a primary care physician or medical specialty, with insights to develop an evidence-based relativity methodology
Applications are due by April 5.
Inspiration and reflection from women physician leaders on IWD. This International Women’s Day, we would like to share the stories of five women physicians as they document and reflect on their unique experiences in medicine. These incredible women shared their stories as part of the OMA’s Women Leaders Memory Project, an archiving initiative based on member contributions that captures and celebrates the history of women in the medical field. Watch the videos
and learn how women have contributed to the medical field.
Ease wait times with call back option. Members who are experiencing wait times longer than 10 minutes when calling Manulife are encouraged to take advantage of the call back feature. While there are more than 100 staff taking OMA calls daily, the length of calls may vary to ensure members' needs are met.
Learn about OMA Insurance’s new benefits.
Support physician well-being by facilitating a PHP mutual support group. We are looking for members to join a unique Physician Health Program pilot project as facilitators to support physician health and well-being. If you are interested in facilitating a group of up to 12 doctors in your district, please apply
. We’re looking for physicians who can facilitate healthy and productive monthly groups. No training in mental health or meeting facilitation is necessary. Deadline is March 25.
Showcase your work on physician health at international conference. Share your knowledge by submitting an abstract to the International Conference on Physician Health 2024
. Abstracts for posters and oral, panel and workshop presentations need to be submitted by April 12 on any aspect of physician health and wellness, but those that focus on this year’s theme, improving well-being through the power of connections, are particularly welcome. This conference, being held in Halifax Oct. 17-19, is also an opportunity to network and learn from other physician leaders advancing health and well-being from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. The conference is also supported by the OMA’s Physician Health Program.
Interested in practising in northern Ontario? The Northern Physician Retention Initiative supports recruitment and provides funding to eligible physicians to keep practising in the region and maintain active hospital privileges. The
ministry’s application deadline is March 31. If you apply, make sure you save a copy of your submission.
Review a new billing brief on peripheral nerve transfer. You can now access information about new fee codes for major and minor nerve transfer procedures released by the Education and Prevention Committee. The EPC is a joint committee between the OMA and the Ministry of Health providing guidance on how you can submit OHIP claims for insured services. Find out more about the updated peripheral nerve transfer billing briefs or
submit your feedback.
Help us understand your views on climate change. The 15th anniversary of Earth Hour is coming up on March 23, and we want to hear from you on the topic of climate change. Please take a moment to share your views in this survey and help inform our understanding of your perspective. The survey closes March 25.
Find out how you can save on an UpToDate subscription and access trusted, evidence-based recommendations to help with diagnosis and treatment.
You can earn up to 120,000 Membership Rewards® points through special offers from American Express ®. That’s up to $1,200 towards your next adventure. Get the discount codes.
Please note that this survey response will not be anonymous. It will be linked to your member account with OMA, and the data will be used for quality assurance purposes by the OMA team. You are not required to participate. Please indicate to what extent you agree or disagree with the following statement:
