Advocacy Update: FIT Transition & Attachment Bonus

Dear SGFP Members,

Over the past several weeks, SGFP has been actively engaged on two important advocacy files that directly affect family physicians: the upcoming transition of Ontario’s FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) program and the implementation of the Patient Attachment Bonus. I want to share a brief update on both.

1. FIT Test Transition: Patient Safety and Workflow Concerns

Ontario’s FIT program will transition from LifeLabs to In-Common Laboratories (ICL) on July 1. As currently planned, only three certified EMR vendors—none of them major platforms in Ontario—are expected to have direct integration with ICL by go-live. This means most family physicians should expect FIT results to arrive by fax, not electronically.

This raises concerns about administrative burden, loss of automated result flagging, and the potential for delayed or missed abnormal results. The risk is heightened if “batch faxing” occurs, where multiple patients’ results appear in a single fax.

SGFP has raised these concerns directly with Ontario Health (view our letter) and has engaged OntarioMD, the OMA, the OCFP, EMR vendors, and consulting specialists in gastroenterology and general surgery. Our key recommendations include:

• enabling Health Report Manager (HRM) as an interim electronic solution
• issuing a hard stop on batch faxing
• establishing a clear timeline for EMR integration across all major vendors
• pausing the transition for results delivery if safe workflows cannot be ensured

We are encouraged that Ontario Health has been responsive to our advocacy. Senior leaders have signaled they are working on solutions, and we are meeting with Ontario Health and the OCFP as part of our ongoing efforts to build a collaborative, upstream approach to digital change. As of yesterday, Ontario Health has confirmed that there will be no batch faxing and are committed to working with us and OCFP on timely and appropriate solutions and communications. We will keep you posted as we know more. 

While this issue is about FIT testing, it reflects a broader pattern: digital changes must reduce administrative burden and improve safety, and that requires meaningful family physician involvement before decisions are finalized.

Lastly on the topic of FIT testing, as of April 01, 2026, a reminder that FHO physicians can bill Q152 for completed FIT tests.

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2. Patient Attachment Bonus: Request for Clarity and Timely Implementation

SGFP has also written to the Ministry and the OMA requesting an update on the Patient Attachment Bonus, announced as part of the 2024–2028 Physician Services Agreement and effective July 1, 2025. Nearly one year later, physicians have not received a billing code, implementation guidance, or a rollout timeline.

We requested:

• an update on implementation status
• a timeline for the billing code and administrative guidance
• confirmation that payments will be fully retroactive to July 1, 2025

The Attachment Bonus is intended to support physicians who take on unattached patients. With approximately 1.9 million Ontarians lacking meaningful access to a family physician, urgency in implementation is essential.

Looking Ahead

Both of these advocacy files point to the same issue: family physicians must be engaged early and consistently in system design. Thank you to members who continue to share experiences and insights, they strengthen our advocacy and ensure the voice of family medicine remains clear.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Dave Barber, Chair, SGFP

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