Let's Talk Billing: One More Session This Year, and Dates for 2027
Dear SGFP Members,
This year's Let's Talk Billing webinar series, co-hosted by the OMA and SGFP, has been very well received. Hundreds of you have joined these sessions to ask questions, compare notes and get practical answers you can use in your practice.
That turnout says a lot. Our billing system is complex. As one member recently put it to me, it is "over-engineered and punitive." These sessions can't fix the system on their own, but they can make it easier to work within while we keep pushing for greater simplicity in billing and ensuring fees match your expertise.
One More Session in 2026: November 25
Our final session of the year is Wednesday, November 25, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. We've added 30 minutes so there's more time for your questions. We expect a lot of them now that physicians in Patient Enrolment Models can finally bill the patient attachment bonus. Register for the November 25 session.
Mark Your Calendar: 2027 Dates
The 2027 series is easier to sign up for. One link lets you register for any or all sessions, so you can sign up once and you’re set for the year. All sessions run one hour. Register for the 2027 sessions.
- Tuesday, January 19, 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, February 17, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, April 7, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, May 12, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 8, 12:00 -1:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, September 14, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 20, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, November 16, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Sessions are offered midday and evening to fit as many schedules as possible.
Missed a Session? Watch the 2026 Recordings
Recordings of all the 2026 sessions are also available. They’re an easy way to catch up on topics you missed or revisit answers to common questions. Watch the 2026 recordings.
Two Quick Reminders
- Patient Attachment Bonus: If you missed it, read my November 3 letter on the patient attachment bonus. The OMA has also created a patient attachment bonus page to help you bill it.
- 2.8% lump sum payment: As outlined in the October 30 OMA News, many of you will receive a lump sum payment of 2.8%. Because of early problems with the relativity rollout, all fee-for-service relativity payments for April to June will show up as one line, "Black Box Relativity April to June," on your Compensation Increase Report. All other relativity payments, including premiums, salaries, bonuses and fee-for-service payments from July onward, appear under their usual payment elements. Not all physicians are affected.
Billing shouldn’t be this hard, and until it isn’t, we’ll keep making sure you have somewhere to get the answers you need. Thank you to the OMA for co-hosting the series and to the SGFP physicians who lead each session.
Lastly, a quick reminder that we have SGFP On-Call (20-minute 1:1 discussions with SGFP leadership) times available in late November/early December. Sign up here.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Dave Barber, Chair, SGFP
Follow SGFP on LinkedIn
Other Resources
ECHO Ontario Trans & Gender Diverse Healthcare
Registration is now open for the Fall 2026 cycle of ECHO Ontario Trans & Gender Diverse Healthcare, running from October 8, 2026 to February 11, 2027.
This 16-session virtual program supports healthcare providers in building the knowledge and skills needed to care for clients with transition-related goals, with a focus on medical transition and gender-affirming care. Sessions will explore topics including gender-affirming care, hormone therapies, affirmative psychotherapeutic approaches, considerations for youth, and OHIP-funded gender-affirming surgeries, and many more. See full curriculum here.
Thursdays | 9:00–10:30 AM ET | October 8, 2026 – February 11, 2027
Click here to register.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
Update: Receiving FIT Results
Ontario Health has prepared a communication (available in English and French) with updates on receiving FIT results. Topics include receiving FIT results via EMR, temporary mailing of FIT results to clinicians without verified fax number and In-Common Laboratories (ICL)’s fax transmission format.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
Long-Term Care Community of Practice (Bruyere Research Institute)
The Long-Term Care Community of Practice CFCP-accredited program (Program ID: 302726) connects physicians and nurse practitioners working in Ontario LTC homes to discuss clinical challenges, share practical solutions, and learn from peers and researchers.
Our upcoming session, Mental Health in LTC, (Wednesday, December 2nd, 2026 (7pm–9pm)) will explore suffering in residents with mental health conditions, providing palliative care for residents with mental health conditions, and ethical considerations when caring for residents with mental health conditions.
Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ys1R9m3pR-qyHEqculjvXg
If you are interested in joining our mailing list or have any questions or, please contact Alexis Aomreore, project coordinator at aaomreore@bruyere.org
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
OMA Section on Primary Care Mental Health Fall Offerings
The OMA Section on Primary Care Mental Health is pleased to present to our colleagues our fall 2026 offerings. This includes our upcoming P2P sessions and the next two sessions of the year for our section’s educational series on Zoom.
Form 1s under the Mental Health Act: Practicalities and Implications will be held Monday, Nov. 16 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. with Dr. Angela Ho.
Helping Patients Forgive: Direct Therapy and Adjunctive Interventions for the Busy Physician will be held Monday, Dec. 7 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. with Dr. Everett Worthington.
For more information, see our detailed flyer or register in advance for free.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
Practical CBT and Teen Mental Health: McGill Refresher, Dec. 3
McGill University's Annual Refresher Course for Family Physicians offers two medical CBT workshops by Zoom on Thursday, December 3. The morning PsychUpdate reviews practice-changing research across mental health. The afternoon workshop, Teen CBT: Guiding Adolescent Growth, gives tools for young patients and their families. Both assume appointments of ten minutes or less. Approved for up to 6.0 Mainpro+® credits (3.0 per workshop). Earlybird tuition until Friday, November 27.
Link: https://2026.course-mcgill.ca/index.php/program/cbt-workshops-december-3
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
Better Breathing Week
As the Lung Health Foundation's premier conference, Better Breathing Week brings together clinicians, researchers, educators, and system leaders from across Canada to explore how research, innovation, and best practices can be translated into meaningful improvements in patient care. If you have emerging research, quality improvement initiatives, innovative programs, or clinical work to share, we encourage you to submit a late-breaking abstract before the final deadline of November 16th, 2026.
Submit your work: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y8HMHCC
To learn more about the conference, visit: https://lp.lunghealth.ca/bbw-2027
We look forward to receiving your submission and to highlighting the important work being done across the respiratory and lung health community.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource Sharing: If you have information about a news item, policy, survey or event you wish to share with SGFP members, please review the criteria and provide the following required information for us to include in this section of the newsletter. Please send this submission to: ChairLetterSGFP@outlook.com