OMA COUNCIL MEETING.(May 1-3)

1. Approx 250 elected Council members are paid to attend. Based on Districts where they practice and Branch of medicine.  Cost of three-day meeting at  Hilton Toronto 145 Richmond St including meals is about $1-million. NON-DELEGATE OMA members can attend as observers. Do not vote. May be allowed to speak.

Districts to be reduced from 142 to 125.  Some were a`legal fiction. e.g. In Toronto,Central, Doctors & Wellesley Hosps were closed  many years ago.  Sections reduced from 63 to 49. In past a section could be formed.by 25 members.(now 50). Section delegates increased from 96 to 102. New Section of Academic doctors.

New Medical Interest Groups (50+) without a vote and not paid to attend Council can be formed. The OMA will provide about $5,000 for say 2 meetings a year of a` MIG Executive:: Chair + Sec/Treas+ Past Pres +  2 Directors who are paid to attend.. Food catered.

MIGs now accepted: SLEEP STUDIES. & SURGICAL ASSISTANTS.
MIGs pending: Complementary medicine and Clinical hypnosis.

New OMA Pres. AYLMER Ont (S/E of London) popn.7,100+/-  GP  Michael Louis TOTH MD (U West.Ont1984)..

Much of Council meeting spent on MOH pay cuts and leaving Ont.MDs without a contract. NPs, PAs and Pharms. taking over roles of GP. NPs can now prescribe non-narcotics and refer pts to Specialists. Pharms can alter GP prescription.without permission.

OHIP pays same throughout Ontario. Obviously rental overhead varies. OHIP cuts encourage move out of high property value areas. In Aylmer 4-bedroom home on one acre about $400,000. In Toronto would cost several million.

GPs moving into NON-OHIP paid medicine:  COSMETIC MEDICINE.and opening WELLNESS clinics which provide extras e.gl. Dietary advice +/- Physio. OHIP is NOT BILLED for GP services. Patient pays about $3,500 yearly. This legal loophole is tolerated although supplementary billing to OHIP fees is not allowed.. Many Ontarians subscribe to Cleveland Clinic Canada,  MedCan and MediSys..Health Group.

There is lack of unity in the profession. Sexologist, U.Tor Lecturer Frank SOMMERS MD (Tor.1970) FRCPC (1975) accused GPs seeing 60 patients a day" of cheating the system. It had to be explained to "social activist" Dr.Sommers that GPs often work a10 hour day. So a patient every 10 minutes is reasonable.

To encourage new ideas, there is now a 20-year limit to OMA committee work. As hourly rate increases`with number of committees some MDs have made the OMA a part-time job collecting committees..Especially as the OMA pays for travel across the Province and 5-star hotels.