Health minister, AMA agree to extend existing fees as negotiations continue

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The Alberta federal government and Alberta Health care Affiliation have agreed to lengthen the existing charge construction until June 30 as the two parties operate toward a new arrangement.

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Health Minister Jason Copping and Alberta Clinical Affiliation president Dr. Michelle Warren issued a joint update Friday evening announcing the extension and ongoing negotiations.

“The Govt of Alberta and the AMA are engaged in curiosity-based mostly negotiations toward a provincial arrangement for Alberta doctors. The functions continue on to have productive conversations that replicate numerous widespread passions,” reads the update.

To permit “sufficient time” for discussion, the two sides have agreed any pending improvements to health practitioner compensation fees or programs will be stopped until negotiations are completed. The update mentioned the halt will use to compensation for Alberta Well being Products and services payments, including stipends, physician on-contact and AHS overhead policy.

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Those who had preparations to prolong their AHS stipends to March 31 will now be extended to June 30 to aid the ongoing talks amongst the province and AMA, in accordance to the update, which additional AHS overhead would also be place on hold until finally June 30.

Copping has agreed not to apply any recommendations from the Medical doctor Payment Advisory Committee, an advisory to the minister, till June 30, aside from the digital care codes.

In January, Copping and Warren issued an update and explained they experienced agreed to get the job done on “high priority health and fitness-care process concerns that will assist program stability” ahead of returning to the negotiating table. The issues involved addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying some variations to doctor payment and growing entry to digital care.

“These steps, merged with people declared in January, exhibit that the two sides are continuing to rebuild the partnership and are ready and capable to work collectively,” Copping and Warren stated.