(November 26, 2012, Toronto, Ontario) – Dr. Douglas Mark, President of the Coalition of Family Physicians and Specialists of Ontario (COFPS)1, today called upon the doctors of Ontario to reject the new Physician Services Agreement recently negotiated by the Ontario Medical Association and the Government of Ontario.
“The Coalition of Family Physicians and Specialists of Ontario has spent the past several days reviewing the new Physician Services Agreement,” Dr. Mark said. “After careful deliberation and much debate, we’ve decided to recommend doctors reject the deal and vote NO.”
Dr. Mark explained that there were a number of things they found objectionable with the tentative agreement. For one, changes to the fee schedule will hurt doctors and patients. For another, the numbers don’t add up, which means doctors will likely see claw backs in 2013-14. Dr. Mark was also concerned, after having carefully examined the side deal it negotiated with government in addition to the Physician Services Agreement, that the OMA will drop its Charter challenge if the deal is approved.
“Another reason for rejecting this deal,” Dr. Mark continued, “is that if the deal is accepted, government will have proven how easy it is to bully doctors.”
Dr. Mark then went on to accuse the OMA of selling out its members because of the major conflict of interest it has when it comes to negotiating on their behalf. Dr. Mark also said that if doctors accept the deal, the OMA would feel vindicated and rightly deserving of the $30 plus million in membership dues it takes from doctors every year thanks to the Rand formula.
“The OMA says this agreement is ‘the best they could do’ under the circumstances,” Dr. Mark said. “We have one question for doctors as they cast their ballot. ‘Is the best the OMA could do good enough for you?’ If not, then we urge doctors to vote NO and reject the deal.”
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1. - Dr. Douglas Mark was the president of the COFPS (Coalition of Family Physicians and Specialists of Ontario, the immediate forerunner of DoctorsOntario. He is now Interim President of DoctorsOntario.