OMA president and health minister bare teeth as Ontario fee deal collapses

TORONTO | Ontario doctors have rejected the provincial government's proposed fee deal after one year of negotiations.Negotiations fell through because the offer would not allow doctors to meet the expanding health care needs of Ontario’s population, Dr. Ved Tandan, the president of the Ontario Medical Association, told reporters Thursday.“By the government’s own estimates, the need for medical care will grow by at least 2.7% per year,” Dr. Tandan said, “and yet, the government is willing to fund (increases of) only 1.25%.”In 2012, doctors accepted a 5% cut to health-care funding, saving the system $850 million. The current proposal would constitute another 4% cut, said Dr. Tandan.In a report issued during conciliation, former chief justice of Ontario Warren Winkler urged doctors to reconsider the government’s offer—advice that doctors apparently took to heart during a 150-physician meeting in Toronto just before Christmas.Provincial health minister Dr. Eric Hoskins also urged the OMA’s board to recommend a "yes" vote from their membership, otherwise the government would impose even deeper cuts.“Justice Winkler was very clear in his report that our current health-care system is unsustainable,” Dr. Tandan said. “He was trying to find a bridge but the government’s offer does not allow doctors and the government to work together.”While Dr. Tandan maintained these cuts will compromise patient care, Dr. Hoskins said this discussion has nothing to do with service levels.Dr. Hoskins pointed out that the average doctor in Ontario receives a gross pay over $360,000 a year and dozens make over a million dollars a year. He added that since 2003, remuneration has jumped 61%.As part of the cuts, government will no longer fund continuing medical education courses or pay after-hours premiums for physicians working at walk-in clinics.The OMA is now proposing a two-year freeze on physician fees.

OMA president and health minister bare teeth as Ontario fee deal collapses

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