Pulsimeter

The season of deadline has arrived!

Membership renewal in full swing

If you haven’t already renewed your BCMA/CMA membership for 2005, remember the deadline is 31 March 2005. Physicians who have not renewed by this date will be considered “not in good standing.” Becoming a member not in good standing effectively cancels the rights and privileges of membership—you cannot vote on issues brought to the membership by the BCMA, you are no longer eligible for BCMA insurance products, your access to MD Management and other services of the CMA is restricted and, like cancelled and non-members, an administration fee will be deducted from any negotiated benefits (CME, CMPA, CPRSP, and REAP) credited to you for 2005.

We have simplified the renewal process for you as much as possible, by offering a choice of payment options:

• On-line at www.bcma.org (using MasterCard or Visa).

• By direct debit from your bank account, in six equal installments (January through June—if you have not already renewed under this option, your initial deduction will be for the January and February installments).

• By cheque (single payment only).

Call or e-mail Ms Brenna Inthavixay (604 638-2849 or toll free in BC at 1 800 665-2262 ext. 2849, e-mail binthavixay@bcma.bc.ca) if you have any questions about your classification.

Make sure you renew now to retain the valuable benefits of BCMA/CMA membership!

Have you applied for your CPRSP benefit yet?

The federal government deadline for contributing to an RRSP to qualify for a 2004 deduction is 1 March 2005. To guarantee payment of your CPRSP benefit by this deadline you had to have your completed application to the BCMA by 24 January 2005. We will do our utmost to process claims received after this date but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to make a matching contribution to your RRSP by 1 March 2005. If you have not already submitted your claim, I urge you to do so at your earliest opportunity, as claims will be processed in order, based on the date of receipt in our office.

Simplify your life—get on the CMPA electronic transfer

If you are a newly practising physician or new to BC, you may not be aware that you can authorize CMPA to electronically transfer the information we need to process your CMPA rebate. Getting onto the electronic transfer eliminates the need for you to complete a paper application form each year. You only have to give permission to CMPA once and you will remain on the transfer until such time as you revoke your authorization. Better still, we will process your CMPA rebate benefit automatically—one less chore for you to remember. Furthermore, if you agree to receive your payment by direct deposit to your bank account, we will issue it to you in quarterly installments throughout the year, rather than in March of the following year. What could be simpler?

To get onto CMPA’s electronic transfer, you can call them toll free at 1 800 267-6522. If you are already on the transfer and wish to receive your rebate in quarterly installments, call or e-mail Ms Dale Storm at the BCMA (604 638-2839 or toll free in BC at 1 800 665-2262 ext. 2839; e-mail dstorm@bcma.bc.ca). Note that you must have received at least $5000 in qualifying income (fee-for-service or sessional payments, or income under a non-salaried service contract) in the previous calendar year to qualify for a partial benefit, and at least $15 000 for a full benefit.

Physicians who are eligible for a 2004 rebate but are not on the electronic transfer should have received an application form from CMPA in January. The deadline for submitting a completed application to the BCMA is 28 February 2005. Applications received after this date may not be considered for payment. If you believe you are eligible for a benefit and have not received an application form or if you have questions about the CMPA Rebate Program, please call or e-mail Ms Dale Storm.

Do you receive income from MOCAP or rural retention premium?

If you receive either of these types of income, you should be aware that they do not qualify as eligible income for determining negotiated benefits (CME, CMPA, CPRSP, PDI, or maternity leave). This restriction applies only to flat RRP payments. RRP paid on a percentage basis is included in income reported to us by MSP for benefit purposes.

This may not have an effect on your CME or CMPA benefit entitlements, as for both these programs physicians require only $15 000 in eligible income to qualify for a full benefit. However, the CPRSP, PDI and maternity leave benefits are income-based and, if you receive a significant amount of MOCAP and/or RRP income, you may want to review your situation with your financial advisor.

Can MOCAP or RRP income be protected by any BCMA programs?

If you are covered under the PDI Plan, you can apply for additional disability insurance under the BCMA Disability Income Insurance Plan (DIIP). The BCMA DIIP takes all earned income into consideration when determining the maximum benefit available to physicians. If you are interested in finding out more about this option please call one of our insurance administrators for more details.

McIlwain named family physician of the year

The College of Family Physicians of Canada has honored Dr Ray McIlwain of Bella Coola as one of its CFPC family physicians of the year.

Congratulations Dr McIlwain!

Cleator receives commemorative award

Dr Iain Cleator was presented with a special commemorative award in December 2004 by Medsurge Medical Inc. for his unrelenting fight against HIV and hepatitis C transmissions through surgical procedures. The occasion also marked his successful completion of over 5000 surgical procedures using the BC-developed O’Regan Disposable Hemorrhoid Banding System.

The new banding system has virtually eliminated the prolonged waiting periods and associated suffering for those seeking prompt treatment for hemorrhoids. The innovative, minimally invasive treatment is now performed at the office, using a relatively painless 30-second procedure. The single-use, disposable nature of the system also eliminates the risk of cross-contamination from viruses such as HIV and hepatitis C.

When Dr Cleator’s pioneering Vancouver clinic opened on Broadway, it was the first such specialized facility in the world to exclusively offer the convenience, safety, and comfort of this type of hemorrhoid banding. Since January 2003, Dr Cleator has performed over 5000 successful banding operations at this clinic. The clinic also offers early detection of colorectal cancers, thus reducing mortality rates in the province.

Cibere receives innovators’ award

Dr Jolanda Cibere, a research scientist with the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada and rheumatologist and post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia, is one of three recipients of the first-ever Networks of Centres of Excellence Young Innovators Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in research, knowledge transfer, and commercialization among young Canadians.

Dr Cibere is being recognized for, among her many notable accomplishments, helping to develop a standardized knee exam for early detection of osteoarthritis, and her recent study of glucosamine sulfate that revealed that there is no benefit in continued use for those with arthritis.

More information is available at www.nce.gov.ca.

McCormack named chief medical officer for Turin 2006

The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) recently selected Dr Robert McCormack of New Westminster as the chief medical officer for the Canadian team at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin.

Dr McCormack, an orthopaedic surgeon with a specialty in athletic injuries and musculoskeletal trauma, has been involved in sport medicine for more than 15 years. He is currently director of the Simon Fraser Orthopaedic Research Office and head of the Division of Arthroscopy and Athletic Injuries at UBC’s Department of Orthopaedics.

Dr McCormack recently served as the assistant chief medical officer at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and held the role of chief medical officer at the World Student University Games in Spain in 1999, and at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria in 1994.