Ontario's doctors accuse health minister of negotiating in public over OHIP fees

Ontario's doctors accused Ontario's health minister of negotiating in public and mis-characterizing facts after he said the province is committed to arbitration to reach a new agreement on fees and blamed doctors for walking away from that process last year.

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On Friday, Health Minister Eric Hoskins fired a shot in the province's war of words with the Ontario Medical Association over OHIP fees, revealing that more than 500 Ontario doctors billed the province over $1 million each last year. One ophthalmologist billed what the government called "a staggering" $6.6 million, while an anaesthesiologist billed $3.8 million.

The top billers represent less than two per cent of Ontario doctors but account for nearly 10 per cent of billings, or $677 million, Hoskins said.

We took this issue to an umpire and the umpire ruled in the government's favour.- Health Minister Eric Hoskins on OMA negotiations

The province spends $11 billion a year on physician compensation, but has been locked in a fight with the OMA after imposing a series of fee cuts last year.

The last fee-for-service agreement between the two sides expired in March 2014.

Hoskins accused doctors of walking away from negotiations a year ago after the province agreed to look at the issue of arbitration.

"We never said no to arbitration," Hoskins said.

In a statement issued late Friday afternoon, the OMA, which represents 34,000 doctors and medical students, asked Hoskins to "clarify" his position.

"Today, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, appeared to say that he is prepared to move forward with a long-term, permanent and stable framework with the province's physicians. In order to move forward with the process of meaningful negotiations, rather than negotiate in public and mischaracterize the facts, Ontario's doctors ask that Hoskins clarify his position directly with the OMA," the statement read.

"Ontario's doctors remain dedicated to providing patient-focused care and believe a fair and predictable physician agreement is the best way to strengthen the quality care patients need and deserve."

During his news conference, Hoskins noted that an independent third party sided with the province during negotiations with the OMA that broke off in January 2015.

"We took this issue to an umpire and the umpire ruled in the government's favour," he said, adding the province is seeking "fairness and sustainability" in their agreements with physicians. 

Hoskins said the current system involving some doctors includes an "inappropriate level of compensation" for the way some bill the province for certain tests. For example, some physicians were charging taxpayers $35 for a simple urine test that only costs $10 to do at some labs, according to the health minister. 

"It's important that we have an honest conversation about the facts," Hoskins said Friday. He said he has brought 80 proposals and 7,000 new fee codes to the OMA but they've all been rejected.

Doctors paid well, Hoskins says

There are no caps on billings by Ontario doctors, who are paid an average of $368,000 a year, and Hoskins said the specialists who earn several times the average are taking money away from other physicians and health-care services.

Of the province's top five billers, two are ophthalmologists, two are radiologists and one is an anaesthesiologist, but their names and where they work are not being released.

There are 154 diagnostic radiologists, 85 ophthalmologists and 57 cardiologists in the million-dollar club.