Doc fee hikes not over yet RURAL AND northern doctors stand to make more money than the 11 per cent retroactive fee increase granted by an arbitrator nearly two weeks ago. Although former Chief Justice Alan McEachern set out the fee increase — and a schedule for on-call pay — both backdated to April-2001, he didn’t address other Monetary issues set out by physicians, Among those issues is the existing Northern Isolation Allowance, which in this area tops up a doctor’s billings by 14 per cent, and an annual. lump sum bonus for stay- ing in more rural and isolated areas. That bonus is $21,000 a year for general practitioners and $26,500 for specialists: “There are still a number of compensation items yet to be determined,” said health ministry official Jeff Gau- lin in noting that McEachern’s award is an inlerim one. “Both parties have been asked to resolve all out- standing issues by May 15,” added Geraldine Vance of the B.C. Medical Association (BCMA), which repre- sents physicians in this province. McEachetn’s interim award is good until March 31, which leaves unanswered the matler of any fee increase as of April 1. Any additional compensation awards would further strain the province’s finances. The BCMA estimates the 11 per cent fee increase is worth $185 million a year with the on-call! pay provisions worth another $70 million a year. ' The province’s doctors now receive approximately . $1.9 billion a year in billings and other income. Although averages are hard to come by because of differences in the billings of individual physicians, the province estimates the fee increase alone works out to approximately $55,000 per doctor over two years. Finance minister Gary Collins and his officials spent the weekend leading up to yesterday’s budget determin- ing how they would finance the increases. Leading into the weekend, Collins was critical of the McEachem award, saying the province didn’t have the money to pay for it. There’s speculation Collins might seek to adjust the arbitration award although the province and the BCMA had agreed that McEachern’s decision would be binding. Before the 11 per cent fee increase granted by McEa- chern, an average general practitioner billed’ out $200,000 a year. Office overhead and other expenses come out of that amount. The fee increase would add approximately $22,000 a year. In rural and northern areas, the Northern Isolation. Al- lowance and annual bonus could then push a general practitioner’s income to the $270,000 range. As well, McEachern’s on-cali payment schedule in- creases the amount from $10 an hour now paid to rural physicians to a minimum $20 an hour. On-call is defined as the time period during which while a doctor is not working, he or she is available for emergencies or other duties. Vance of the BCMA said McEachern’s award recog- nizes the shortage of physicians in the province and the need to keep competitive with pay offered elsewhere. Incentives are particularly important when it comes to doctors working in rural and remote locations, she said. “We need not only to find physicians, but we need to retain them,” Vance said. a proud sponsor of | CRIVE STOPPER: Terrace Crime Stoppers are asking for your help to solve a-break.and enter to residence on Graham ‘Avenue in Terrace; B.C. . - At approximately 10:30 ‘a.m, on January 218%, 2002, . ~aresidence'on Graham Avenue was broken into ‘and some items were ‘stolen. While the homeowner was. in ‘the shower, the: sliding: door ‘lo the: patio a residence. was pushed off its track and the: tesidence entered. * a everal. transadtlons ere attempt card, including. a withdrawl of.cash. ; Terrace Crimestoppers ‘wants your. Information, not: your-name. 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