In the event of failure of negotiations relating to physician compensation such disagreement must be resolved by a mutually agreed-upon, timely process of dispute resolution. In addition, service complexity, length of training and the demands of work should be considered. Health care professionals in hospitals and institutional settings are normally given reasonable compensation packages when facilities are closed, downsized, transferred, etc. Physicians who are not necessarily employees, may lack certain benefits those with employee status have with their interests not adequately captured by existing mechanisms. Physicians therefore need to receive reasonable consideration and compensation when facilities and programs are discontinued, reduced or transferred.
Physicians now have the option of remuneration through an increasing array of payment methods.
In keeping with the democratic rights accorded to all groups with respect to the terms and conditions of employment the CMA maintains that all individual medical practitioners should have the freedom to choose their method of remuneration. It is understood that certain payment methods may be associated with a defined service delivery model. Nevertheless, a physician's right to choose a payment method must be retained irrespective of the service delivery model in which he or she practises, but the underlying principles of the chosen remuneration method should be consistent with the objectives of the service delivery model. In the case of income disparities among specialty groups the CMA continues to support the initiatives of its provincial and territorial divisions in addressing identified earning disparities. CMA strongly believes that payment systems must not compromise the ability of physicians to provide high quality cost-effective medical services.