End-of-Year Updates: Relativity Increases, PPC Survey & Holiday Message

Dear SGFP Members,

Before we head into the holidays, I want to highlight several important updates and recent developments. This letter will cover the OMA’s relativity announcement, offer members an opportunity to contribute to the Physician Payment Committee (PPC) proposals through a survey, and draw attention to a petition addressing a critical issue for Ontario’s physicians.

I hope you have seen the recent OMA letter regarding physician compensation and relativity adjustments for family doctors across Ontario. For years, SGFP has advocated for addressing the undervaluation of family medicine relative to other specialties. I'm pleased to share some progress on this front.

The OMA's announcement on relativity calculations better recognizes the value of family medicine - a positive outcome from our sustained advocacy efforts. While this is a step forward, we know more work lies ahead to address the crisis in family medicine.

What does this mean for you?

Family doctors will receive increases greater than the 9.95% arbitration award announced earlier this year. Specifically:

• Capitation model physicians will see an 11.75% increase
• Enhanced fee-for-service physicians will see a 12.75% increase
• Fee-for-service physicians will see a 13.54% increase

These differentiated increases reflect the application of the new relativity formula and represent progress in addressing historical inequities in physician compensation.

Implementation Timeline:

• Starting January 1, 2025: Initial across-the-board increase (no relativity applied)
• April 1, 2025: Relativity-adjusted increases begin
• April 1, 2026: Permanent implementation through the Schedule of Benefits

To understand how these changes will specifically affect your practice, I encourage you to use the OMA's calculator tool.

While these adjustments represent some progress, we know there is more to do to support family physicians across all practice models. Valuing the collective efforts of family doctors in Ontario’s healthcare system will remain a key priority in all of the SGFP’s work.

SGFP continues to advocate for:

• Targeted funding from the arbitration award be focused on addressing the primary care crisis
• Support for sustainability of rural and northern Ontario family doctors
• Addressing the gender pay gap
• Resources to address the ongoing crisis in family medicine
• Innovation in primary care delivery models

PPC input needed

• Looking ahead, SGFP is actively involved in the Physician Payment Committee (PPC) process to develop new proposals for the permanent Schedule of Benefits changes coming in April 2026. Given the historical increase in the arbitration award, the SGFP Tariff team needs your feedback to shape our new PPC proposals and ongoing advocacy priorities. Please complete this survey by Monday, January 6, 2025.

Important Update: Support for Ontario Physicians

I want to bring to your attention a concerning situation involving Dr. Elaine Ma, which has significant implications for family doctors across Ontario. This case raises important questions about OHIP billing interpretations and the potential impact on medical education and training. We encourage our members to learn more about this situation and consider supporting Dr. Ma through the petition at www.Change.org/StandWithDrMa.

Holiday Message from the SGFP Executive Committee

As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment on behalf of the SGFP Executive Committee to express our deep gratitude for your continued dedication to your patients and communities throughout the year. Your resilience and commitment to providing excellent care, despite the ongoing pressures in primary care, have been truly remarkable.

We know many of you will work through the holidays, ensuring your patients receive the care they need. Your sacrifice and dedication do not go unnoticed. We hope you can find moments of joy and rest during this season, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the new year as we advocate for positive change in family medicine across Ontario.

Wishing you and your loved ones a peaceful holiday season and a healthy, hopeful 2025.

Warm regards,

Dr. David Barber, Chair, Section on General and Family Practice