Local MLA calls for an agreement to be reached between UCP and physicians
BY JUSTIN SEWARD insight magazine
One local MLA hopes there is a
deal coming soon between the provincial government and the Alberta Medical Association physi- cians.
Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced back in February that the government’s agreement with Alberta doctors would be cut and a new fee structure would be in place by April 1. In an interview with the Alta. Newspaper Group in February, Shandro said end- ing the agreement was necessary because of the impasse with doctors on how to reduce costs by $2 billion in this fiscal year and over the next three years. “It’s so frustrating to me that so many doctors
Barnes would like to see the UCP Drew Barnes, Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA
work with doctors to make sure some of the best professionals in the world are treated as such, to make sure there are more positions in the two Alberta medical schools-particularly for Alberta kids - and lastly, expand choices for Albertans as well with nurse practitioners and more direct access to the health quality that provincial residents all need. “A lot of doctors have reached out
to me and said they’re leaving or looking at all of their options and again, it’s frustrating when so many
of these same people came to my office six months ago, and said they’re willing to help financially, help with ideas,”he said. Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and the
came to my office and offered many,many ways to help make the system better and make the system more efficient with some cost savings,” said Drew Barnes,Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA. “The two groups have been unable to get there and I don’t know why that is. I’m going to contin- ue to advise Minister Shandro and the provincial government that they do three things.”
government have been in negotiations since November and since then, the UCP has scrapped the AMA agreement before negotiations for a new agreement was concluded. Doctor’s rights to arbitration were eliminated- essential workers have this right, and Albertans have been misinformed that the AMA ever tabled any proposals or offered significant savings. It turns out AMA tabled proposals in February, March and July.
The doctor’s most recent proposal includes holding the physician budget at its current level as the UCP requested and for the next three years. The association needs to work with the UCP as
partners to manage the physician budget, to con- tribute their expertise to stabilize Alberta’s health system and to work with the government to enhance its health care platform in order to decrease wait times, improve senior care, support mental health and improve the patient’s medical home. Furthermore,AMA wants the government to
pay for the new physicians over the current pop- ulation of physicians, to restore binding arbitra- tion rights and continue to fund programs and grants. “It has been eight months now since negotia- tions began. Since then,the AMA has been 100 per cent consistent: at every table with the minis- ter or the civil service, in every advertisement we have placed, in every media interview,and every meeting,”said Christine Molnar,AMA president, in her end of July President’s Letter. “The message is always the same. Our goal is to
achieve a negotiated agreement between physi- cians and the Government of Alberta.”
With files from Gillian Slade,
Alta.Newspaper Group
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insight magazine september 2020 - 15
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