Alberta doctors to vote on tentative deal with the government

Alberta doctors will vote on the tentative compensation deal reached with the province last month.

The decision was announced Friday by Dr.Carl Nohr, president of the Alberta Medical Association, in a letter to members.

On Thursday, the AMA's representative forum met to review the deal and discuss whether it should be sent to ratification by members. A date for the vote has not yet been set.

• Alberta government reaches tentative deal with doctors

Details of the deal will be sent to AMA members. There will also be information sessions scheduled from Sept. 13 to 20 in Calgary, Fort McMurray, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Grande Prairie.

The tentative deal, reached after months of talks, is a set of amendments to an existing 2011-18 agreement.

The agreement proposes the government work with the AMA on alternative payment models.

Instead of being paid a fee for each service they perform, doctors would be paid for each patient they see, as long as that patient is enrolled in their practice.

However, this system is optional for primary care doctors.

Details of the deal have not been released as the government wants physicians to see them first.