Bulletin 240307 — Temporary increases for physician services payments
The ministry will temporarily increase physician payments by 2.8% for the period April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025.
To: All Physicians
Category: Physician Services
Written by: Provider Services Branch, Physician and Provider Services Division
Date issued: March 28, 2024
Bulletin Number: 240307
Physician Services Agreement initiatives effective April 1, 2024
The Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association have been working together to implement physician compensation increases in accordance with the 2021-24 PSA Year 3 Implementation and 2024-28 Procedural Agreement (the agreement).
A 2.8% compensation increase on physician payments for the period of April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 will occur as described in the agreement. This will be paid as a lump sum with a targeted payment date in the Fall of 2024. Further details of this payment will be provided in a subsequent INFOBulletin.
The agreement also provides a temporary 2.8% compensation increase on physician payments for the period of April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025. The temporary 2.8% increase will be applied to the value of fee schedule codes (FSCs). This will be achieved through an update to the Fee Schedule Master (FSM). The Schedule of Benefits for Physician Services will not be updated for the temporary increase.
Tables showing fee schedule code increases
Tables showing the applicable FSC increases are available with this INFOBulletin.
- Fee Code Table 1: Increases by Fee Schedule Code - Physician Services
- Fee Code Table 2: Increases by Fee Schedule Code - Technical and Professional
Primary Care models and programs
All Primary Care agreements will be subject to the 2.8% increase. The FSM will be updated to reflect the 2.8% increases to Fee-For-Service and Primary Care Q-codes.
Shadow billing
Physician contract payments which are tied to the OHIP claims system through shadow billing will receive the temporary 2.8% increase.
Premium and add-on fee schedule codes
Premium and add-on FSCs that pay a percent increase have not been changed but will calculate the premium payments using the increased fee approved value of the accompanying eligible service(s).
Community Palliative Care On-Call
The temporary 2.8% increase has also been applied to the Community Palliative Care On-Call (CPOC) FSC (B400) submitted through the OHIP claims system for services rendered between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025.
Update your billing software
Please ensure that your billing software is updated to reflect the new FSC values for any services rendered on or after April 1, 2024, before submitting your claims.
The updated Fee Schedule Master can be found on Ontario.ca. This file will be available for download by April 8, 2024.
Claims processed through the OHIP claims system with a service date between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025 will reflect these increases and will be reported on your Remittance Advice.
Technical fees
All technical services will be eligible for the temporary increase of 2.8% except for technical services performed in hospital.
Technical services are defined by fee schedule codes with a B suffix for Diagnostic Radiology, Diagnostic Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine-In Vivo, Pulmonary Function Studies, Sleep Studies and for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technical Procedures with any suffix.
Technical services performed in hospital must be billed with a Service Location Indicator of HED (hospital emergency department), HOP (hospital out patient), HDS (hospital day surgery), HRP (hospital referred patient), or HIP (hospital in-patient).
Eligible technical services performed in office and facility costs paid to Independent Community Health Services Centres will receive the temporary 2.8% increase effective April 1, 2024 through to March 31, 2025.
Due to staged implementations, Medical Claims Adjustments (MADJ) may be required to reprocess and adjust hospital technical service claims to the eligible rate.
Further information will be provided in advance of a MADJ.
Keywords/Tags
FSM; payments; technical fees; physicians; Physician Services Agreement; PSA; fee schedule master
Contact information
Do you have questions about this INFOBulletin? Email the Service Support Contact Centre or call