IN TODAY'S UPDATE

Implementation of virtual COVID-19 fee codes

News & Announcements
HAPPY DOCTORS’ DAY!
Mental health during COVID-19 training course

Providing Care
Ontario Virtual Care Clinic update

PPE & Other Critical Supplies
New ministry critical supplies and equipment portal

Managing your Practice During COVID-19
Temporary hospital-based compensation model
New fee codes on list of identified AGMP procedures
Physician Leadership in Long-Term Care
FAQ on COVID-19 Advance Payment Program

Your Health & Well-being
PHP commissions graphic novellas on physician health

Implementation of virtual COVID-19 fee codes
The Ministry of Health implemented the system changes for virtual COVID-19 fee codes and will be processing these claims as of May 5, 2020. Claims for services using these fee codes (K080A, K081A, K082A, K083A, H409A and H410A) can now be submitted for services provided on or after March 14, 2020.  Please note that physicians rendering services at the Designated Assessment Centres are required to submit their claims (H409A, H410A) in conjunction with the group number that can be obtained from their assessment centre administrator. 

Full details can be found in the OHIP Bulletin.

News & Announcements

HAPPY DOCTORS’ DAY!
#ShineALightForThem 
The people of Ontario want to thank you.
Thank you for all you do in leading us to better health. 
Thank you for putting your patients before yourselves.
Thank you for showing courage in the face of so much fear, so patients can find theirs. 

Tonight at 9 p.m. look to your neighbours and your social media feeds as Ontarians shine their lights in appreciation for all you do. It’s because Ontario appreciates you that content like this and the hashtags #DoctorsDay and #ShineALightForThem are No. 1 trending content on Twitter today. It’s because Ontario appreciates you, that landmarks such as the CN Tower, Niagara Falls and the Sault Ste. Marie cross will shine blue tonight. 

We hope that you see or hear about this activity as you face the day and know that your courage and compassion as well as the sacrifices you and your family and friends make are deeply felt and appreciated.

Mental health during COVID-19 training course
The OMA is sponsoring the third annual training course on psychiatric dimensions of disasters on June 6 from 9 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. This is a free, online course.

The purpose of the course is to develop and maintain well-trained, dedicated specialists, able to serve the mental health needs of people and communities affected by disasters, in collaboration with emergency and public health responders. Reduction and prevention of post-disaster mental illness and fostering of resilience are also goals.

Register

Providing Care

Ontario Virtual Care Clinic update
OntarioMD has been closely monitoring the volume of referrals to the Ontario Virtual Care Clinic. Schedules are being modified to meet current need. This is an innovative new project and we have been learning along the way. We have had ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Health, Telehealth Ontario and the Ontario Telemedicine Network. Telehealth Ontario has agreed to modify its IVR system to include an option for patients to contact the OVCC. We will continue to monitor volumes and if this change results in a significant increase in referrals to the OVCC, we will increase shift scheduling. OntarioMD thanks all physicians who have supported, or expressed their interest, in the OVCC.

PPE & Other Critical Supplies

New ministry critical supplies and equipment portal
The Ministry of Health will launch a new Critical Supplies & Equipment Portal to replace its current web/Excel based PPE survey on Monday.  

Note that the Ministry’s current web/Excel based PPE survey will be closed this weekend (May 2-3). Anyone who has previously completed the Ministry survey will receive an email with instructions to register for the new portal on May 3. Hospital respondents should continue to use the Daily Bed Census and not the new portal. 

Please also continue to update the OMA’s PPE Inventory Tool as we are receiving shipments from sources outside of government that we want to distribute to members who are in need. 

Update the OMA PPE Inventory Tool 

Managing your Practice During COVID-19

Temporary hospital-based compensation model
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing unprecedented challenges to the health-care system. It is critical that Ontario hospitals have the necessary physician human resources in place to treat the unparalleled number of patients who will require acute care hospitalization.
To respond to this situation, the Government of Ontario and Ontario Medical Association have agreed to temporarily implement a time-based compensation model that is intended to:

• provide additional hours of in-hospital physician care for patients with COVID-19
• replace fee-for-service payment models in certain circumstances
• promote the recruitment and flexible deployment of physicians and physician skills where they are needed, including with dedicated COVID-19 response teams 

Read the full time-based compensation model.
More information is contained in the OMA's FAQ.
 

 
New fee codes on list of identified AGMP procedures
The list of identified AGMP procedures has been updated by the Ministry of Health. As with the existing fee codes on the list, these apply from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., will be effective April 3, 2020, and will cease no later than July 31, 2020, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. The premium will be applied only to the AGMP procedures that involve a COVID-19 positive patient or a patient who is treated as at risk of being COVID-19 positive under local hospital policy and cannot be received by physicians concurrently receiving any hourly rates listed in paragraph 1 of the Phase II guidelines. The full list of codes will be published on oma.org next week.
 

Physician Leadership in Long-Term Care
As Dr. Sohail Gandhi noted in his President’s Update on Thursday, long-term care is the epicentre of COVID-19 in Ontario. Many physicians working in Designated Assessment Centres have volunteered to go to LTC homes to screen residents.

We now have confirmation from the government that if a hospital sends its assessment centre team to a LTC home to test patients, physicians on the team would continue to receive the assessment centre sessional rate for that testing.  Details on how to bill will be included in an upcoming OHIP Bulletin.
 

FAQ on COVID-19 Advance Payment Program
The Ministry of Health announced an advance payment program on April 22, which was not negotiated with the OMA.  In response to questions from members about this program, the OMA has prepared an FAQ based on clarifications received from the ministry.

View details here. 

Your Health & Well-being

PHP commissions graphic novellas on physician health
The PHP has commissioned a series of “graphic novellas” to highlight the work of physicians during COVID-19 and how it is impacting them personally. Graphic novellas are short stories told through a combination of text and art, often in a comic-strip or comic-book form. The first one, called Sketches from the Front Lines,” features Dr. Sohail Gandhi reflecting on how COVID-19 has forced doctors to change the way they care for patients and the impact that has had on all of them.
 
Browse the first novella on the PHP web page.

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