Over $ 100 million in premiums of all kinds has been cut from medical specialists over the past year, most of which had been revealed by our Bureau of Investigation.
This is how the attendance bonus, the oxygen bonus, the meeting bonus or even that to see patients over the age of 85 have been abolished or modified.
More than $ 58 million per year will therefore be recovered following our reports on these controversial amounts.
“It is sure that this illustrates that you had identified sectors which were correct”, indicates Jean-François Foisy, director general of the Institute for the relevance of medical acts (IPAM).
The Institute was created in early 2020 following an agreement with the Federation of Specialist Physicians. In particular, it must identify annual savings of $ 140 million by March.
To date, the relevance measures put in place should make it possible to recover more than $ 97 million per year.
Criticized measure
While most of the measures have been well received by medical specialists, the one aimed at cutting the attendance premium has been strongly criticized, especially by anesthesiologists.
This bonus allowed them, as well as surgeons, to receive an additional amount if they showed up at the operating room before 8 a.m. or if they remained in office following 3 p.m.
Legal proceedings have even been taken once morest the Federation and IPAM. According to Mr. Foisy, however, discussions are underway to settle the dispute and there is no question of backing down.
Reinvested money
The money saved will be reinvested to improve access to patient care and facilitate the work of medical specialists. A sum of $ 25 million will thus be used for the implementation of the electronic medical record in clinics.
Another amount – $ 700,000 – will be used for an electronic prescriber pilot project which should guide doctors in choosing the most relevant tests.
“It’s major. This should allow specialists, such as radiologists, to reduce the number of examinations, giving them more time, and reduce waiting lists, ”concludes Mr. Foisy.
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ATTENDANCE BONUS
- 23,3 M$ annual savings
It allowed surgeons to earn $ 110 if they came to the OR before 8 a.m. In the case of anesthesiologists, they received an amount paid in increments of 15 minutes. A sum was also paid to remain in post between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The measure was implemented between 2009 and 2011 to optimize the use of operating theaters. However, our Bureau of Investigation revealed that the number of surgeries only increased by 1% between 2012 and 2017.
OXYGEN PREMIUM
- 2,8 M$ annual savings
This bonus was paid to anesthetists for monitoring an oxygenation device called ECMO. The premium of $ 34.80 per quarter hour might be paid even when the doctor was not at the bedside. It was increased by 150% between midnight and 7 a.m. A medical specialist had thus succeeded in billing $ 54,000 in one week for a single patient.
SENIORS BONUS
- 1,5 M$ annual savings
Geriatricians, specializing in elder care, were entitled to an additional $ 45 to $ 55 each time they saw patients 85 and over for certain exams.
TRAINING PREMIUMS
- 16,8 M$ annual savings
The resourcing bonus of $ 800 per half-day was used to pay for continuing education. In some cases, it might have been used for training at Club Med or at Spa Eastman, in Estrie. As the majority of other professional orders require training at the expense of their members, medical specialists have agreed to abolish it.
MEETING BONUSES
- 13,7 M$ annual savings
Bonuses for service meetings have been abrogated while those for department meetings are limited to 10 hours per year and exclusively for department heads. Our Investigation Office revealed that specialists received $ 200 for several types of medico-administrative activities such as the library committee, complaints or bed management.
