Pulsimeter

It’s tax time again

T4A tips

You should have received a 2005 T4A by the end of February if payments were made to you personally or on your behalf during the 2005 calendar year under any of the following programs:

• Canadian Medical Protective Association Reimbursement Program (CMPA)

• Continuing Medical Education Fund (CME)

• Contributory Professional Retirement Savings Plan (CPRSP)

• Maternity Leave Benefit Program (MLBP)

• Rural Education Action Plan (REAP)

In addition, if you are insured under the Physicians’ Disability Insurance (PDI) Plan, an amount equivalent to the premium paid on your behalf by the Ministry of Health for this benefit in 2005 will be included as a taxable benefit on your T4A. PDI benefits paid while you are disabled are non-taxable.

The total amount of these payments will be shown in Box 28, Other Income. An itemization of this amount is printed on the reverse side of the T4A.

If you are incorporated you may request that future payments under the CMPA, CME, MLBP, and REAP programs be made payable to your corporation. Before payments can be made in a corporate name we will require a copy of your certificate of incorporation. Payments issued in the corporate name will not be reported on the T4A but should still be included as taxable income on your corporate tax return.

The CPRSP amount is the contribution deposited in either your personal retirement savings plan or to your spousal retirement savings plan. A T4A is not issued when the contribution is deposited to your corporate registered Individual Pension Plan (IPP).

Is someone else completing your income tax return?

To comply with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the BCMA will not release any personal information, including copies of T4s or T4As issued by the BCMA, to a third party unless you have completed a Benefits and Income Consent Form.

It is your responsibility to provide your T4A and accompanying information to your accountant. Please make sure you include a copy of the back of your T4A providing the breakdown of your benefit payments.

Should you require an additional copy, we would be happy to forward any information your financial advisor or accountant may need to complete your income tax return, as long as you have completed a Benefits and Income Consent Form. A new completed form is not required if you have already provided consent for us to release information to this individual in the past.

Benefits and Income Consent Forms are also available at www.bcma.org.

—Sandie Braid, CEBS
BCMA Benefits

Children to learn about healthy living from fellow students

Healthy Buddies, an initiative of BC Children’s Hospital, is a child-centred health promotion program targeting attitudes and behaviors about body image, nutrition, and physical activity. Elementary schools across BC will soon be asked to participate in this program that incorporates the use of buddy teaching between intermediate and primary students. The program is a way for children to come together to learn about healthy living from one another at school, a natural place for this type of teaching and learning to occur.

Healthy Buddies was originally conducted as a pilot study on the Sunshine Coast from 2002 to 2004, which resulted in significant improvements in students’ health, such as an overall reduction in BMI and blood pressure. Based on this success, the program is now expanding into schools in various regions across the province.

The 21-week buddy program comprises three health themes: “Move Your Body,” “Fuel Your Body,” and “Love Your Body.” In the first half of the year, students learn how to be positive buddies and learn about these three components critical to a healthy life. In the second half of the year, students learn to identify the challenges to living a healthy life and learn strategies to overcome these challenges, increasing the likelihood of healthy living success. Health concerns, such as obesity and eating disorders, are also addressed in the program.

Older students first receive direct instruction. Then, with guidance from teachers, they support the learning of their younger buddies. Throughout Healthy Buddies students deliver presentations, practise relaxation techniques, interview each other, play card games, and create art displays. Classrooms receive comprehensive resource bins containing all lesson materials, games, videos, CDs, and posters. In addition to classroom lessons, there is a physical activity component of Healthy Buddies known as Fitness Loops. Students meet with their buddies twice weekly in the gym to participate in structured activities designed to improve strength, flexibility, and endurance.

The Provincial Health Services Authority has provided funding in support of this prevention and health promotion program for 3 years, totaling more than $837000. Dr Sue Stock is co-founder of the program and a physician with the endocrine and diabetes clinic at Children’s. To learn more about the Healthy Buddies program, e-mail info@healthybuddies.ca or visit www.healthybuddies.ca.

Physician’s society provides CME, promotes community involvement

Dr Michael Myckatyn is a busy physician who has found great personal reward through the founding and leadership of the Minoru Medical Education Society (MMES). Driven to provide Lower Mainland doctors with the opportunity to partake in quality CME events, Dr Myckatyn incorporated the MMES in 2001. Pharmaceutical companies and other corporate sponsors partner with the society to reach a large physician audience, to avoid duplication of CME sessions, and to guarantee a solid base of attendees at events. Under Dr Myckatyn’s watchful eye, CME events organized by the MMES always start and finish on time, and this tight schedule attracts doctors who often avoid events that tend to run late into the evening.

The MMES web site posts information on upcoming CME events that are open to all medical professionals. Information on events that are open exclusively to physicians is sent to all society members via fax or e-mail, a service provided for a nominal membership fee of $20 per year. Additional funding for the society is provided through fundraising and grants, and any unused funds are spent on web site maintenance and the funding of sessions less popular with sponsors, such as domestic violence and learning disabilities.

Another important goal of the MMES is to inspire local physicians to become involved in their communities. Many members of the society collaborate each year to raise funds for the Cancer Society in the Relay for Life. Last year 30 MMES participants raised $47 000, and this year Dr Myckatyn has aspirations to build a team of 50, with the goal of raising $80 000. Another upcoming fundraiser is the MMES Dance for Life, taking place on June 10 at the Ukrainian Catholic Centre in Vancouver. This much-anticipated event will include dinner, a silent auction, and dancing to music from local band S-Bahn. Tickets are $50 each, and can be bought by contacting Dr Myckatyn through the MMES web site.

Dr Myckatyn and the MMES continually strive to promote the rewards of education and community involvement throughout the medical community in the Lower Mainland. New members are welcome, and those seeking further information on membership and CME sessions organized by the Minoru Medical Education Society can visit the society online at www.minorumedical.com.

—Tara Lyon
BCMA Communications