Premier Scott Moe announced a five-year $200,000 rural doctor recruitment bonus in a war for medical talent and within an hour, another province beats Saskatchewan’s bonus..Newfoundland announced that some rural regions of the province would have two-year $200,000 doctor bonuses in addition to the $100,000 “come-home” bonus for doctors who left Newfoundland.. Paul Merriman .Health Minister Paul Merriman wants to avoid bidding wars with other provinces, but said he understands everyone is looking for all healthcare workers, not just doctors..“I think we're experiencing the same challenges other provinces are and I don't want to get into a bidding war with other provinces because these are all your dollars. Your taxpayer dollars,” Merriman told the Western Standard..“Now, if other provinces are going to be outbidding us, then we'll have to have another look at it. But, right now, we're pretty satisfied that going from $47,000 up to $200,000 is a significant investment.”.Merriman said the government “found it was significant to do a $200,000 5-year return to service [agreement] with our physicians to get them out to those key areas.”.Premier Scott Moe said the “government recognizes the challenge of attracting doctors to rural and remote areas of the province, and this increased incentive will enhance our ability to attract more rural physicians and meet that challenge.”.NDP Health Critic Vicki Mowat said doctors want more than just money. They need support staff and quality of life too.. Vicki Mowat .“What we've heard from physicians that we've spoken to has been that it's not simply the need for an incentive to sweeten the pot,” said Mowat..“It's also about the quality of life and the job that you have in front of you. In terms of retention, keeping doctors in our province is essential to being able to provide that first line of care.”.Mowat said the NDP has heard from doctors that they would like to work on a contract basis, not just on a fee-for-service model..“What we've heard from many physicians is that they want more flexibility in terms of the payment model,” said Mowat..“They want to have the option of not being tied to a fee-for-service payment model… They would rather work on a contract basis with the [Saskatchewan] Health Authority. We haven't seen the government make moves in this direction yet.”.Merriman said the government is open to exploring other payment options.
