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Ontario Medical Review
Dec. 16, 2021

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of the Ontario Medical Review magazine.

Our members come first

Snapshot of key 2021 successes and member advocacy achievements

Ensuring our members are supported and their interests protected, the OMA continues to make priority the needs of members through myriad ways. Negotiations is a top value, along with driving enhanced operational performance and strongly representing the rights and interests of all members. The OMA makes it easier for physicians to set up and maintain a successful medical practice through our Practice and Professional Support and as well as financial wellness and stability through our Member Advantages. The following is a snapshot of 2021 successes and key OMA member advocacy achievements.

Access full coverage of OMA health system and member advocacy.

Negotiations

The OMA represents members in the negotiation of physician compensation agreements with the province, and is accountable for the monitoring and implementation of those contracts, as well as issues related to physician compensation or contracts that may arise outside of the Physician Services Agreement.

Negotiations in 2021

The OMA Negotiations Task Force has been working tirelessly on behalf of all physicians throughout the year, fully supported by OMA staff.

A very thorough consultation process with members defined priorities, which in turn informed the negotiations mandate approved by the board. There was a delay early in the year, but PSA talks resumed in March. We are now in mediation, with sessions scheduled through to December.

The OMA has brought forward a number of priorities in mediation, including: 

  • Global fee increases
  • Continuation and expansion of virtual care
  • Establishing relativity across all domains (intersectional, intrasectional and across gender)
  • Modernization of the Schedule of Benefits
  • Medical liability protection reimbursement
  • Increased access to existing and creation of novel alternate funding plans
  • Financial support for physicians in this and future pandemics or emergency situations
  • Enhancing access to the Family Health Organization model

Throughout the year, the OMA negotiations team effectively engaged in several bargaining sessions to address physician compensation around COVID. The OMA NTF worked hard to negotiate a temporary compensation package that will continue until September 2022. This includes the virtual K-codes. Also, the board approved new fee codes for vaccine services, which will be in effect for one year.

Regular updates to members are provided through the Board Chair Report, which is emailed to members via OMA News on Friday morning, and you can find additional information on the Negotiations page on OMA.org.

Strong governance

The OMA is transitioning to become a modern and nimble organization that puts members first, while delivering stronger value and results to you. Several important developments in the OMA’s governance journey occurred this year, all driving toward a member-driven OMA that represents all voices and protects the interests of members.

Governance transformation in 2022

Last year, Council passed a series of motions to modernize the OMA’s century-old governance model. We have now streamlined the board from 26 to eight physicians directors and three non-directors. Council was dissolved and in May we welcomed a new General Assembly with 125 members compared to the previous 250 delegates. We clarified the roles of the president, board chair, CEO and other elected leaders. All of this reflects best practice in the corporate world, and is designed to move our organization forward, and bring the OMA closer to grassroots doctors. In late September, we held our inaugural General Assembly Priorities and Leadership Group meeting, which is focused on our three key priorities: Advocacy, Issues and Policy, and Compensation. The board has appointed a Governance Implementation Steering Committee that will provide oversight to the staff team that is driving this initiative. This is a work in progress and you can get further details on the Transform website.

Advocacy

Protecting and advocating on behalf of our members is a top priority. The board, senior management and staff maintain firm diligence in upholding member rights and providing strong support to our members in all facets of their professional and personal lives.

Health-care workers reported high levels of burnout before the pandemic and COVID-19 has only exacerbated this issue. The OMA established a Burnout Task Force in 2019 to address this priority issue by identifying contributing factors, collaborating and co-ordinating with stakeholders, developing system-level recommendations on preventive measures and advocating to the provincial government. Since then, the task force has surveyed physicians and released Healing the Healers: System-Level Solutions to Physician Burnout, a white paper that proposes five solutions to address the system-level causes of burnout. 

In addition, the task force has developed many tools to support physicians facing burnout such as three podcasts on physician wellness (particularly in the context of COVID-19) and guided the development of the OMA’s Burnout Toolkit to help identify, prevent and manage burnout among physicians, residents and trainees.

In May, the Ministry of Health launched a new post-payment review process, which is only applicable for reviews of claims submitted on or after May 1, 2021, and on a go-forward basis, with the exception of an estimated 20 cases that were already in the audit review process prior to December 2019.

The OMA worked with the ministry to ensure that policies and procedures guiding the audit process fully reflect the principles of procedural fairness for doctors, integrity, transparency and accountability as required by law. In addition, educational resources were developed in order to clearly explain the post-payment review process, and to support doctors and office staff with appropriate billing practices and to reduce claims-payment errors.

In October, the provincial government launched its new Ontario Business Registry, allowing for simplified searches of general information about corporations and businesses in Ontario. The OMA and members immediately recognized that the free search allowed for the public to access street address information of the registered/head offices of corporations, including Medicine Professional Corporations (MPCs), which presented significant safety and security issues for physicians.

Staff took immediate action on behalf of members to remedy the issue. An investigation was opened by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. The OMA also pursued legal recourse on the issue and advocated for members up to the highest level of government.

The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services heard the OMA’s concerns and promptly modified the OBR free search function to no longer list the street address of corporations. Also, historical addresses are no longer shown in the free public or paid searches of the registry.

Practice and professional support

Members have access to professional supports through a wide range of educational and specialized services that include:

  • Billing advice and modules
  • Complimentary practice legal support
  • Practice insurance
  • Continuous learning and development
  • OntarioMD
  • OMA Exchange
  • Digital toolkits for medical practice, such as vaccine hesitancy

The association keeps members informed of what they need to do to keep their patients healthy through toolkits, educational webinars and more. This past year, the OMA introduced a resident transition educational series in partnership with several medical professional organizations to help medical residents prepare for the next stage in their careers. The OMA continues to explore new opportunities and ways to support members with their professional goals.

Personal support

The OMA Physician Health Program recognizes the need for doctors to have a platform devoted to physicians’ health. It is a comprehensive program providing education, assessment, treatment, support and advocacy to doctors, residents, medical students and retirees across the province. The range of services includes support with concerns over:

  • Stress and burnout
  • Relationship issues
  • Substance use and abuse
  • Mental health
  • Other concerns that are impacting work and home life

These services are high in demand and recently we have seen a 30 per cent increase in the volume of calls to the PHP over previous years. Their incredible team of clinicians, researchers and educators not only provide a complete approach to every physician client but also the opportunity for sustaining collaborative relationships with treaters.

Member Advantages

OMA members continue to have some of the most exclusive offers and discounts on personal and professional products and services. Through OMA’s partnerships, members and their families can take advantage of personalized services tailored to a physician’s lifestyle:

  • OMA Insurance solutions with exclusive rates and special offers that help OMA members and their families achieve financial wellness
  • Award-winning Advantages Retirement Plan™, an exclusive retirement savings plan designed for OMA members and their spouses/common-law partners
  • Memberperks and Member Advantages program provides exclusive benefits and savings on top brands and services for one’s personal and professional lifestyle
  • OMF bursaries designed to assist medical students

OMA’s unique partnerships help members save time and money and continues to evolve in response to the growing needs of OMA members.

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