Ontario MDs lose, Quebec MDs win in malpractice fee shuffle
CMAJ 2000;162:1031
Quebec doctors should see a dramatic reduction in their Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) malpractice fees next year, while Ontario doctors will likely face a "substantial rise." The fees will be different because of the CMPA's new regional fee structure.
A recent cost-analysis study done for the association determined that awards or settlements in Quebec averaged about $67 000, or half the national average of $131 000, for the period 1989/1999. The average settlement in Ontario totalled $172 000 — 156% higher than in Quebec. Differences in other parts of the country are less significant. The CMPA's governing council recently voted unanimously to move to a new regional fee structure to reflect these differences.
"The differences between Ontario and Quebec are dramatic," explained Dr. André Duranceau, a CMPA vice-president. "Regional differences in cost should be reflected in membership fee schedules in order that physicians, the medical community and governments in various parts of the country can see the relevance of the impact of court awards and settlements on costs in their particular region."
The CMPA moved to regional fees following a detailed actuarial analysis of its costs last summer. "As a not-for-profit organization run by and for physicians, the costs of providing service to our members are simply passed on to doctors through their membership fees," said Duranceau. "We cannot control costs such as those associated with court awards or settlements."
About 12 500 of the CMPA's 58 000 members are from Quebec. — Steven Wharry, CMAJ
 |
Send a letter to the editor Envoyez une lettre à la rédaction |
© 2000 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
