Univ of Calgary professors’ column published by the CBC “...suggested the changes by the government were a “needless burden during a pandemic” and called the move unethical and potentially dangerous.” https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/albertas-changes-to-doctors-billing-during-pandemic-are-unethical-experts

Alberta Health said in a statement that the government is committed to maintaining total payments to physicians at $5.4 billion this year.

“With recent changes to support physicians in the pandemic, we expect to spend even more,” spokesman Steve Buick said.
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The previous quote from @SteveBuick2 reveals EXACTLY one of the problems AMA has not been able to overcome with gov’t perception. @shandro et al. believe EVEN with public health emergencies + more docs + incr pop’n... ALL of that is covered by the same budget as previous years.

This is either financially naive or incredibly cynical - or both. What Buick is saying is current docs should be expected to pay for any health crisis or political policy (Surg Wait-Times) or new physicians or an aging and growing and population. Never mind a growing tax base.

A real life example of @shandro’s budget: 4 workers make $1000 total ($250 each); the employer hires a 5th but still budgets $1000 ($200 each) BUT are expected to work the same. Then the owner has an emerg so the 5 have to cover... longer hours, more complex work, for $200 (cont)

(cont). While away, the owner has a brainstorm & wants a new pet project that’ll cost $250... Thus the 5 workers split $750 ($1000-$250) = $150 each. All to do longer hrs, more complex work & the owner’s pet project.

Is this fair? The owner “maintained the budget”, didn’t he...?

This is precisely what “maintaining physician spending” means... that DESPITE more docs, increased population, aging & incr complexity of the pop’n, political pet projects AND any contingencies (like COVID)... ultimately docs eat the cost of things completely not in our control.

And while not particularly “fair” by most workers standards, THAT is actually the easiest version. Where all cuts are even, predictable & going forwards. This is also NOT what @shandro has done & why docs say most of us have NO idea what income will be this month, or henceforth.