The Alberta Medical Association says Alberta doctors voted down a negotiated offer by the slimmest of margins to ratify a tentative agreement between the province and AMA’s board..“After months of negotiations with the Alberta Medical Association, the vote to ratify a tentative agreement was ultimately unsuccessful,” said Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro..“While this result is disappointing, it does not erase the meaningful collaboration and mutual understanding that was gained throughout this process.”.At 10:30 pm Tuesday, AMA, representing nearly 14,000 physicians across Alberta, confirmed its members voted 53 per cent to 47 per cent against the deal, with a 59 per cent turnout of about 11,000 physicians eligible to vote..AMA priorities in the agreement include and remain physician supply, greater physician access, and community practice sustainability..According to the third quarterly report by the College of Physicians & Physicians, Albertan made net gains in physicians at 246 between July and September last year, which includes 142 newly licensed physicians trained in the province..Alberta’s government also negotiated with doctors in Budget 2021 a cap on physician pay of $4.571 billion annually, with no overall spending increases in the first two years of the four-year contract and subsequent one per cent increases in each of the final two years..Despite the 180 turnaround from 2020, adopting a more conciliatory approach by the province was not enough to convince physicians they would not unilaterally terminate this agreement, having done so last year..The lack of binding arbitration in the tentative agreement fueled anxieties on the ‘no’ side of the vote..Shandro sent a letter to all doctors on March 24 in an attempt to turn over a new leaf but was ultimately unsuccessful, as many felt the letter was “insincere” and a “sign of desperation”..Despite the result, both Shandro and the AMA remain optimistic about future talks, expressing their intent to meet soon and work collaboratively..Shandro praised the efforts of AMA, stating, “their effort has not been misspent.”.“The momentum gained over the past few months will not be lost. Our government will seek to further renew our relationship with the AMA in the weeks and months to come as we work together to ensure Albertans continue to benefit from quality health care,” he said..“The questions now are: What comes next? How do we deal with these issues without an agreement? said AMA President Paul Boucher, who acknowledged this “was a difficult decision for many.”.Boucher said the challenges faced by negotiating during a pandemic include Alberta’s “fragile economy”, changes arising from new health legislation and a possible third wave of COVID-19..The doctors won significant compromises, including the government’s promise not to fund any new government initiatives from the proposed budget but with new money..They also won back funding for AMA-administered benefits previously threatened, including maternity leave, medical liability insurance, medical education, and the physician and family support program..Shandro also had a change of heart on complex modifiers, which allowed doctors to bill for extra time with patients who have complex needs, stating it was a policy the province should have never pursued in the first place and would not be moving forward..Last week, the Alberta government invested $6 million for medical students to work in rural Alberta..Dhaliwal is a Western Standard reporter based in Edmonton
The Alberta Medical Association says Alberta doctors voted down a negotiated offer by the slimmest of margins to ratify a tentative agreement between the province and AMA’s board..“After months of negotiations with the Alberta Medical Association, the vote to ratify a tentative agreement was ultimately unsuccessful,” said Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro..“While this result is disappointing, it does not erase the meaningful collaboration and mutual understanding that was gained throughout this process.”.At 10:30 pm Tuesday, AMA, representing nearly 14,000 physicians across Alberta, confirmed its members voted 53 per cent to 47 per cent against the deal, with a 59 per cent turnout of about 11,000 physicians eligible to vote..AMA priorities in the agreement include and remain physician supply, greater physician access, and community practice sustainability..According to the third quarterly report by the College of Physicians & Physicians, Albertan made net gains in physicians at 246 between July and September last year, which includes 142 newly licensed physicians trained in the province..Alberta’s government also negotiated with doctors in Budget 2021 a cap on physician pay of $4.571 billion annually, with no overall spending increases in the first two years of the four-year contract and subsequent one per cent increases in each of the final two years..Despite the 180 turnaround from 2020, adopting a more conciliatory approach by the province was not enough to convince physicians they would not unilaterally terminate this agreement, having done so last year..The lack of binding arbitration in the tentative agreement fueled anxieties on the ‘no’ side of the vote..Shandro sent a letter to all doctors on March 24 in an attempt to turn over a new leaf but was ultimately unsuccessful, as many felt the letter was “insincere” and a “sign of desperation”..Despite the result, both Shandro and the AMA remain optimistic about future talks, expressing their intent to meet soon and work collaboratively..Shandro praised the efforts of AMA, stating, “their effort has not been misspent.”.“The momentum gained over the past few months will not be lost. Our government will seek to further renew our relationship with the AMA in the weeks and months to come as we work together to ensure Albertans continue to benefit from quality health care,” he said..“The questions now are: What comes next? How do we deal with these issues without an agreement? said AMA President Paul Boucher, who acknowledged this “was a difficult decision for many.”.Boucher said the challenges faced by negotiating during a pandemic include Alberta’s “fragile economy”, changes arising from new health legislation and a possible third wave of COVID-19..The doctors won significant compromises, including the government’s promise not to fund any new government initiatives from the proposed budget but with new money..They also won back funding for AMA-administered benefits previously threatened, including maternity leave, medical liability insurance, medical education, and the physician and family support program..Shandro also had a change of heart on complex modifiers, which allowed doctors to bill for extra time with patients who have complex needs, stating it was a policy the province should have never pursued in the first place and would not be moving forward..Last week, the Alberta government invested $6 million for medical students to work in rural Alberta..Dhaliwal is a Western Standard reporter based in Edmonton
