Important Details About an Upcoming Increase
to Medical Remuneration
I am pleased to be able to share important details about an upcoming increase to medical remuneration. Our current four-year Master Agreement requires the province to provide a 1.0% increase in the fourth year, effective April 1, 2022.
This increase is estimated to increased total physician remuneration in Manitoba by over $10 million. This increase is the final year of our four-year Master Agreement, ratified by members in 2019. We successfully negotiated for medical remuneration to increase to the Ontario Prairie Average or better, while also expanding our benefits programs. Under this Agreement, which was strongly supported by members, the allocation of annual fee-for-service increases is to be finalized by the new Master Agreement Governance Committee, a joint advisory group of provincial government and Doctors Manitoba representatives.
I can confirm that physicians will benefit from the following increases effective April 1, 2022:
- Overall, Fee-for-service remuneration will rise by 1.0%, with the increased funding targeting specific tariffs identified as physician or health system priorities.
- All alternatively-funded contracts in the Master Agreement will also increase by 1.0%, including specialist on-call rates.
For the 1% increase for fee-for-service remuneration, it has been allocated to respond to many of the priorities identified by blocs:
- All visit tariffs will receive an increase of at least 1%.
- Targeted increases will be applied to specific procedure tariffs that have fallen behind the Ontario-Prairie Average.
- Virtual visit tariffs will remain in place for duration of the pandemic and will also increase by 1%. Work continues on a permanent solution for virtual visits after the pandemic.
Further issues will also be addressed, including surgical assist payment and improving chronic care remuneration for PCHs.
The allocation of the 1% also reflects the government’s priorities for patients, including supporting improvements to surgical services, care for seniors residing in personal care homes and those in need of complex care.
You will receive an email from Doctors Manitoba later this week with an overview of the fee-for-service changes for your bloc.
We’re also well into our preparations for negotiating the next Master Agreement, with the current Agreement set to expire on April 1, 2023. Bloc working groups are meeting to develop proposals for bargaining. Meetings with alternately funded groups have also begun and will continue through the spring. Our focus is on identifying proposals to support the whole physician, including not only your economic interests but also your health and professional well-being.
Your input is essential to ensuring we represent the priorities of all physicians. I strongly encourage you to reach out to staff at practiceadvice@doctorsmanitoba.ca by March 18 if you have an issue you would like raised in bargaining. Those issues will be researched and assessed by staff in collaboration with our working groups. We anticipate providing the government with our proposal by the Fall of 2022. We will keep you updated as we work towards this.
Thank you for your continued commitment during this pandemic period. It’s the dedication of physicians across the province that continues to inspire our team at Doctors Manitoba, to ensure you have the support you need to provide exceptional care to your patients.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kristjan Thompson
President, 2021 – 2022
PS: Like many of you, and as a physician who tries to prevent death and injury, I am deeply distressed by what is unfolding in Ukraine. Please consider joining me in supporting the humanitarian response. You can find good suggestions for credible organizations to donate to at https://uccmanitoba.ca/helpukraine/