News and announcements

Uninsured services billing: What you need to know

Sure, billing directly for services not covered by OHIP can result in some uncomfortable changes and conversations. 

But as Toronto’s Dr. Ryan Banach advises, you can ease the process with a few guidelines and lessons he’s learned from 16 years of practising medicine, including some tips for third-party requests.

Updates to Rowan’s Law concussion resource

The Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health has updated its health-care provider resource about Rowan’s Law.

Under this law, Ontario amateur athletes under age 26 who have, or are suspected of having, sustained a concussion must be removed from training, practice or competition. They cannot return to full participation in amateur competitive sport until they have been medically assessed and cleared by a physician or nurse practitioner. Read more about Rowan’s Law.

The updated resource provides concussion safety best practices for health-care providers and shares resources to support assessment and management of concussions.    

Support for physicians experiencing or planning for disability

You don’t have to navigate disability or changing health needs alone. We offer services that support you if you’re living with a disability or planning for the possibility of one.

Explore the supports available to you as a member: 

• OMA Disability Insurance: Helps protect your income if an illness or injury prevents you from working 
• OMA Critical Illness Insurance: Provides financial support through a lump-sum benefit if you’re diagnosed with a covered critical illness and meet the policy conditions 
• Physician Health Program: Offers a broad range of confidential supports for members and medical learners facing physician health challenges  
• OMA Legal Services: Provides legal information, guidance and support on eligible professional and practice-related matters

Find the right support for your needs and take the next step today.   

Five ways to stay ahead of cyberthreats 

Cybercriminals keep getting more sophisticated, and even small security gaps can create big risks. Catch up on five practical cybersecurity tips to help you protect patient data, clinic systems and your practice.

Once you’ve covered the basics, you can go further with OMD Educates. You’ll find the latest information, tools and expert guidance on everything from AI governance and patient privacy to PHIPA compliance and emerging cyberthreats.   

Don’t miss out on this HOOPP webinar

The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan can play a critical role in your long-term financial planning and retirement goals. Watch this webinar to learn more about the plan’s benefits for incorporated physicians and Medical Professional Corporations participating as HOOPP employers.  

Last chance: The recording will only be available until Oct. 22, so be sure to watch before it’s gone. 

Thinking about practising in northern or rural Ontario?

If you’re considering practising in an underserved Ontario community, northern and rural incentive programs and supports may be available to you.

Visit our Northern and Rural Incentive Programs web page to learn more about available programs, eligibility requirements and how to apply. If you have any questions, please email us.

Share your feedback on standardized eReferral forms

Ontario Health and Amplify Care are seeking feedback from Oct. 5 to 25 on a new set of draft standardized eReferral forms for pediatric cardiology, pediatric endocrinology, pediatric ENT, pediatric neurology or pediatric urology.

An annual review for existing forms is also underway for rheumatology, dermatology, obstetrics and gynecology, neurology, mental health and addictions PCA and psychiatry.

Review the forms and share your feedback on the Amplify Care website. For more details, read Ontario Health and Amplify Care’s awareness letter or email ereferral@amplifycare.com.

Ontario launches fall immunization programs

The Ontario government launched its fall immunization programs today, encouraging people to get their flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines as soon as they become available to help protect communities across the province.

Initial access to flu and COVID-19 vaccines will begin next week for high-risk and priority groups. As of Oct. 26, free vaccinations will be available to the general public at participating pharmacies, public health units and physician and nurse practitioner offices.

Starting Oct. 1, the province will also begin access to immunization for eligible newborns and infants up to eight months of age in their first RSV season, and for high-risk children up to 24 months of age in their second RSV season receiving the Beyfortus® immunization.

OMA President Dr. Rebecca Hicks welcomes the start of the respiratory season immunization programs and encourages Ontarians to include vaccinations in their fall health-care planning. Read today's news release.

Guidance on market withdrawal of LP.8.1 COVID-19 vaccine

The Ministry of Health has released direction on the market withdrawal of Moderna Spikevax and Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty LP.8.1 COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. Please discontinue distribution and administration of these LP.8.1 products and destroy all remaining inventory.

Updated XFG versions of the COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available in Ontario starting in late September with initial supply targeted to specific settings, including hospitals and long-term care homes. During this gap in supply, please advise individuals seeking COVID-19 vaccination that the new XFG formulation is recommended once available. We will share 2026-27 program rollout details once received from the ministry.

New pneumococcal vaccine for adults 65+ 

In a recent memo, Ontario's chief medical officer of health outlined changes to the publicly funded pneumococcal vaccine program for adults that take effect Aug. 17.    

Routine immunization for individuals aged 65 and older will change to the pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine (Pneu-C-21 or Capvaxive), which is expected to provide broader protection than the current Pneu-C-20. Patients vaccinated with an earlier pneumococcal vaccine are not eligible for re-vaccination with Pneu-C-21.   

Learn more about pneumococcal vaccines and access Ministry of Health fact sheets about the vaccine program.  

Help inform future resources on tick-borne illnesses 

Ticks and tick-borne illnesses are on the rise in Ontario. While clinical guidance for Lyme disease is already available, the office of the chief medical officer of health would like to understand whether guidance on the assessment and management of other tick-borne illnesses would be helpful for physicians. Take the brief survey now to share your thoughts by copying and pasting this URL or copying and pasting it into your browser: https://insights.oma.org/c/r/OMA_Poll_on_Tick_Borne_Illnesses

How AI scribes are helping doctors

AI scribes, which capture patient-clinician conversations and generate clinical notes in real time, allow doctors to spend less time on documentation and more time on patient care.

Read OntarioMD's blog, AI Scribes are the New Normal, to learn how these tools are reducing administrative burden and improving clinical workflows.

New FHO handbook – your questions, answered

You told us you needed a reference tool so you can spend less time hunting for answers and more time with your patients. Our new 2026 FHO handbook (member-only access) provides the information you need most – quickly and easily.

The handbook walks you through the 2026 FHO Agreement, including:

• Requirements for FHO groups and physicians
• Rules to follow
• Key compensation details
• Operational requirements for ministry-directed processes such as patient enrolment, group changes and the monthly revenue cycle

Whether you’re in a FHO, leading one or thinking about joining or forming one, the FHO handbook is your go-to resource for answers to your top questions. We encourage you to navigate topics of interest based on your specific issues or needs.

Beyond scribes: AI and your practice

AI scribes are helping thousands of clinicians reclaim time spent on documentation. But can AI do more than just listen and document? Read OntarioMD’s new blog, which explores AI-powered clinical decision tools and efforts to close the persistent gap between the latest medical evidence and daily clinical practice.