Changes to the Schedule of Benefits effective August 1, 2003

1. Fee increases to rebalance specialty inequities
2. Amendment chart
3. Other information

In accordance with the commitments of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) for the 4th year of the 2000 Physician Services Agreement, a number of changes are being made to the Schedule of Benefits for Physician Services effective August 1, 2003.

1. August 1, 2003 - Fee increases to rebalance specialty inequities
   
   Effective August 1, 2003 - introduction of two new fee codes and fee increases to more than 80 existing fee codes to rebalance specialty inequities in psychiatry, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery, family medicine, and internal medicine. These changes are being implemented to ensure physicians are being remunerated in a fair and equitable manner.
   
   The fee increases apply to a broad range of services including intermediate assessment (A007), various surgical consultations, pediatric consultation, psychiatric consultation and various complex surgical procedures.
   
   In addition, there are a number of fee increases to medical consultations including the fee for geriatric consultation (A075) increasing to $140.00, and fees for neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, rheumatology, hematology and clinical immunology consultations increasing to $125.00.