You will receive your 2012 CMPA membership fee invoice in the next few weeks. For most Ontario members, the invoice will be substantially lower than that of previous years. This is due to a substantial one-time fee credit that will reduce the 2012 Ontario fee.

Membership fees are calculated based on medico-legal risk in three fee regions: Ontario, Québec and Rest of Canada. Each region is self-supporting and there is no subsidization between regions. While the Ontario region’s total fees will decrease significantly, Québec will experience a small decrease and the Rest of Canada a small increase.

The payment of medical liability protection costs in Ontario is guided by two agreements.

Firstly and as is the case in other provinces, Ontario physicians benefit from a program that reimburses them for a portion of their CMPA membership fees. This long-standing arrangement was negotiated by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and it is in lieu of other forms of compensation for clinical work. The reimbursement program contributes to a stable and sustainable medico-liability system that meets the needs of physicians and their patients.

The second agreement is a Memorandum of Understanding between the CMPA, the OMA and the Ministry, which guides how, if the CMPA’s assets exceed forecasted liabilities, fee credits are applied to reduce the monies collected in a given year.

As a result of the current strong standing of CMPA’s financial position in Ontario, the total 2012 CMPA fee requirement of $164 million has been reduced by fee credits of approximately $128 million. As a result, the Association will collect $36 million from its members or about 25% of the expected cost of medico-legal protection in the province.

For members, the substantial reduction in total CMPA fees translates into individual fees for 2012 that are at, or below, 1986 levels. As the reimbursement program is based on a 1986 threshold, the program will be suspended for 2012 while members “out-of-pocket” costs will remain consistent with previous years.

Despite the substantial reduction in fee revenue, the CMPA’s Ontario region remains fully funded.

However, collecting only 25% of the total costs is not a sustainable approach and CMPA membership fees are expected to return to more normal levels in 2013. The CMPA expects the reimbursement program will also resume in 2013.

Read about the fee setting process.

Tel / Tél : 613-725-2000, 1-800-267-6522 cmpa-acpm.ca

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

ABOUT THE 2012 CMPA FEE SETTING PROCESS

As a mutual defence organization, the CMPA levies membership fees from physicians wishing to receive medico-legal assistance and protection. This protection consists of medico-legal advice and legal defence on matters related to a physician’s medical professional work. Assistance is determined on a case-by-case basis, and tailored to meet the needs of physicians and their specific circumstances.

In setting membership fees, the CMPA estimates the future cost of medical liability protection for the care provided in that year. These actuarial calculations are done on a regional basis to ensure that each of the three fee setting regions is responsible for its own costs. In addition to differentiating fees by region, the calculations are also based on the type of work (family medicine, surgical specialty, trainee, etc.). This ensures that the fee structure reflects the risks inherent in each member’s type of medical practice as well as regional differences in medico-legal costs.

What are fee setting regions and how do they differ?

The CMPA has established three fee regions:

Ontario, Québec and Rest of Canada. The Rest of Canada region includes the western and Atlantic provinces as well as the three territories.

In establishing membership fees, the CMPA’s goal is to hold one dollar of assets for each discounted dollar of anticipated liability, including expected awards, settlements, legal and administrative expenses. When the assets exceed the actuarial estimate of current and future liabilities, the CMPA may allocate funds as fee credits. Conversely, when the estimated costs exceed assets, the aggregate fees are gradually increased to maintain the Association’s fully funded status.

While the overall approach to CMPA assistance and protection is consistent across the country, the membership fee model is designed to reflect the differences in medical liability costs in each region.

The allocation of fee credits in Ontario does not impact the other fee regions, as each region is self-supporting.

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