190 Nexus Vol. 22, No. 1 (Spring 2003)

              Volume 22. Number 1 Surina 2003
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER
!
► www.nlma.nf.ca
NLMA's arbitration
submission summarized
Strong case made on behalf of province's physicians
The final decision of an arbitration board
appointed to resolve outstanding issues
between the Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador and the Newfoundland and
Labrador Medical Association on behalf of
the physicians of the province is expected
in the coming weeks.
"After months of consultation with
physicians, protracted and ultimately
unsuccessful negotiations with government
and a 17-day service withdrawal that
triggered the arbitration process, a new
agreement is now close at hand," said
JsiLMA President Dr. John Haggie.
\e arbitration board will deal with the
macro and meso-allocations - that is the
total global value of the agreement and the
total percentage increase available to each
discipline. The arbitration board will not
determine the micro-allocations for general
practitioners and specialist groups. That
process is under way and involves
consultation with each discipline and
collaboration with the provincial
government.
Dr. Haggie said the NLMA presented a
strong and compelling case to the
arbitration board. "We presented sound
arguments to support our positions related
to fee-for-service and salaried physician
issues."
A summary of the NLMA's position on key
items before the arbitration board follows.
Inserts with this issue:
• NLPDP - the NLMA has entered into a joint
communications program to make
physicians more aware about the
programs and services of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Prescription
Drug Program. The introductory bulletin is
included in this issue of Nexus.
Breast Cancer Patient Retreat
May 30 to June 2
Fee Increase
The NLMA is seeking Atlantic parity for its
fee-for-service members. That is, fee-for-
service physicians in this province should
be compensated at rates on par with their
colleagues throughout the other Atlantic
Provinces.
The final offer of the NLMA prior to
arbitration requested $45.8 million over
three years. The Association made a case
for $45 million in new funding for fee-for-
service physicians - $35.1 million in year
one, $4.9 million in year two, and $5 million
in the final year. Essentially, this is 2002
parity with a three per cent increase for
each year (2003, 2004 and 2005).
Deficit Recovery/No Cap, No
Thresholds
The MOU contained provisions for a cap on
global payments to physicians and
individual income thresholds. Total global
payments above a prescribed amount were
to be recovered from physicians. Similarly,
payments to individual physicians will be
reduced or "prorated" when the physician's
total annual billings reach prescribed
amounts.
These measures protect government while
shifting the financial burden to physicians.
Government has stated it is prepared to
"write off" or not recover the current deficit
under the global cap, an offer government
values at $2.8 million.
It is the position of the NLMA that the
"recovery" of this money is an item covered
in the MOU and JMC and therefore the
calculation of the amount should be dealt
with under those agreements and not by
the arbitration board. Further, the NLMA
believes that while government's offer to
"write off" the deficit is in good faith,
government is simply writing off the cost of
medically necessary services already
provided. The province would be paying for
services which it is bound to provide and
fund under the Canada Health Act.
Arbitration documents
Similarly, the Association strongly opposes
the global cap and individual income
thresholds and is arguing that both the cap
and individual threshold be eliminated.
ER Hourly Payment Rates
The NLMA is seeking an improvement in the
hourly rate paid to physicians providing on-
site and off-site emergency room coverage.
It is the Association's position that the
physicians providing on-site services should
be paid a rate of $125 per hour plus a
premium of $15.63 per hour (or 12.5 per
cent) for weekends, statutory holidays and
hours between 12 midnight and 8 a.m. As
well, the Association is requesting $30 per
hour plus fee-for-service billings for
physicians providing off-site ER coverage.
See "Arbitration" on page 10...
NEXUS defined: A connected group or
series; a bond, a connection.
NEXUS