Let Me Break Down How Much Ontario Doctors Really Get Paid (2024)

Have you ever wondered how much your family doctor is paid? Are not all doctors driving fancy cars, sipping fine wines and taking afternoons off to golf?

Most people are surprised to learn how little family doctors are paid for all of the services they provide.

How much do you think a family doctor is paid?

Would $32 per visit be fair? Would a flat rate of $16 per patient each month be fair?

Too much? Too little?

In 2015, Dr. Shawn Whatley wrote a pair of excellent blog posts that detail how much family doctors are paid. The following blog demonstrates two different examples of how family doctors are currently paid in Ontario.

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Let Me Break Down How Much Ontario Doctors Really Get Paid (1)

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Example 1: Fee for service billing

For decades, "fee for service" has been the traditional way that doctors bill OHIP for their services. Under this model, a doctor is paid a specific amount of money for a specific type of visit or procedure. For example, for a "minor assessment" such as a simple rash or skin spot, the physician would submit a bill to OHIP with the code A001 attached to it. They would then be paid the corresponding $21.70 in return. If a doctor stitches up someone's cut arm, she submits a bill for a code Z176 to OHIP, which pays the doctor $20.00 in addition to the assessment payment. A full list of services and payments can be found in this document from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.

There have been some further reductions since Dr. Whatley's blogs in 2015, though, and the payment figures in the link above aren't the most current numbers. The Ontario government unilaterally imposed cuts to physicians' payments a few years back — so, for instance, instead of being paid $33.70 for a typical visit (code A007 for an "intermediate assessment"), a family doctor is now paid $32.64.

Let us explore this further. Imagine a patient visits her family doctor for belly pain (for which the family physician would bill the most common code, A007, as noted above). Here are all the steps that are involved in such an assessment:

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  • Patient calls the doctor's office to book an appointment. (Remember: telephone lines and reception staff cost time and money, all paid by the doctor.)
  • Patient visits the office, checks in with reception staff, is taken to exam room and prepared for the visit. (Again, staff are all paid by the doctor. Clinic rent, electricity, medical tools, equipment, etc. are all paid for by the doctor.)
  • The doctor assesses the patient. (Remember: the doctor went to school for 10 or more years of education and training after high school in order to earn the expertise to care for her patients, not to mention the years of experience she has gained since.)
  • The doctor orders blood work and an ultrasound in order to help diagnose the cause the of patient's belly pain. (To do this, the doctor needs to complete the appropriate paperwork to order the tests. All of this takes time, computer costs, faxing and/or telephone costs and more staff time.)
  • The doctor may need to write a prescription for medications for the patient. (This takes time and expense of either paper or fax for the prescription.)
  • The doctor needs to write a detailed note in the patient's chart to document the visit. (This takes more time and computer costs.)
  • When the test results come back for the blood work, the doctor's staff receives them and puts them in the patient's chart, and then the doctor reviews them. (This takes staff time and doctor time.)
  • When the ultrasound result is received, the staff puts the report in the patient's chart and then the doctor reviews the results. (This takes staff and doctor time.)
  • The doctor then either calls the patient with the results or has her staff call the patient with results. (Again, this all takes doctor time, staff time and telephone costs, all paid by the doctor.)

For all of this time, cost and expertise, the family doctor is paid a total of $32.62 (but not quite, as she still has to pay taxes on income earned. Once corporate tax (if applicable) and personal income taxes are applied, the doctor only takes home as little as 54 per cent of the remaining profit).

Furthermore, the family doctor can only bill OHIP for one issue per day. So, if the patient also asks about an unrelated rash, or blood pressure control, or any other issue in that same visit, the doctor can still only bill that same $32.62.

Let Me Break Down How Much Ontario Doctors Really Get Paid (2)

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Example 2: Capitated billing

In recent years, most family doctors are now paid for their services via "capitated" payment models. In a family health organization (FHO) model, a family doctor is basically paid a flat rate for looking after a patient for a year. This flat rate includes a specific list of services as well as some additional bonuses and incentives.

The amount of the flat rate varies depending on the age and sex of the patient. In my experience, a doctor is paid about $80 per year to look after a 20-year-old male patient, whereas she is paid about $440 per year to look after an 80-year-old female. On average, for the entire population, this works out to about $200 per year ($16.67 per month) per patient. This is a flat rate payment regardless of whether a patient visits the doctor twice — versus 10, 20 or even more times per year.

Sounds like a bargain — not to mention unsustainably undervalued.

In return for this total flat rate payment of $200 per average patient per year, the family doctor agrees to provide a list of 130 services. The extensive list these services can be found here in "Appendix A" (page 37 of 54).

Every single one of these visits, procedures and services requires staff time, doctor time and overhead costs, including the costs to buy all of the medical supplies and equipment. (Just as one example, it is worth noting that the supplies, nursing time and staff time required to perform a skin biopsy amounts to a total cost of $20 each).

In addition to the flat rate payment, the doctor may also earn an additional 15 per cent of the traditional fee for service payment. This is also known as "shadow billing." Using the most common example of a general assessment by a family doctor, the doctor would be paid a mere additional $4.90 (15 per cent of $32.64) for the visit.

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Given all of the above, and considering all of the education, training, skill, experience, responsibility, time overhead costs and taxes required to provide care for a patient, do you feel a family doctor deserves to be paid:

How's $32.64 per visit?

Perhaps just $16.67 per month?

Sounds like a bargain — not to mention unsustainably undervalued.

From now on, when you hear of a physician billing $300,000 (or more) per year, just imagine how many patients are being treated and how much care is being provided. Imagine the hours, the responsibility and the overhead costs that are required to provide such service.

And imagine just how busy and hard-working that doctor must be.

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Let Me Break Down How Much Ontario Doctors Really Get Paid (2024)

FAQs

How much do doctors get paid per patient in Ontario? ›

The Ontario government unilaterally imposed cuts to physicians' payments a few years back — so, for instance, instead of being paid $33.70 for a typical visit (code A007 for an "intermediate assessment"), a family doctor is now paid $32.64. Let us explore this further.

How much do doctors make in Ontario per hour? ›

$90.38 is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.

What type of doctor makes the most money? ›

What are the highest-paying doctor jobs? Neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists, and general surgeons are the highest-paid doctors. According to Payscale, neurosurgeons earned an average annual salary of $421,000 as of March 2023. Anesthesiologists made an average of $322,980, while general surgeons earned $296,000.

Do Ontario family doctors get paid per visit? ›

Ontario began overhauling its primary-care system in the early 2000s. The new models paid family doctors working in groups mostly for the number of patients they enrolled in their practice, a departure from the traditional fee-for-service approach where doctors are paid for every discrete episode of care they deliver.

Which province in Canada pays doctors the most? ›

Alberta

What type of doctor gets paid the most in Ontario? ›

2. What are the highest paid doctors in Canada? According to the latest data from the CIHI, ophthalmologists have the highest annual earnings of all other specialties in Canada, with an average annual income of CAD$791,000.

How much does a nurse make in Ontario? ›

While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $129,000 and as low as $35,500, the majority of Registered Nurse salaries currently range between $60,500 (25th percentile) to $86,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $107,000 annually in Ontario.

How much does a surgeon make in Ontario? ›

$481,451

How much does a Dentist make in Ontario? ›

The average Dentist salary in Ontario, CA is $201,008 as of March 28, 2023, but the range typically falls between $180,131 and $226,323. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

What is the lowest paid doctor? ›

Pediatricians earn on average $221,000 and work an average of 47 hours per week, yielding an average hourly wage of $94. It should be noted that pediatricians have the lowest annual salary out of any specialty on our list; however, they also work fewer hours than most specialties.

What is the hardest doctor to become? ›

A Note for Medical Students

Apart from the top 5 specialties mentioned above, Interventional Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Vascular Surgery, General Surgery and Med/Peds are among the most difficult domains to become a doctor.

Who are the top 3 paid doctors? ›

The following are the highest paid doctor jobs in the order of increasing salaries:
  1. Cardiologist. National average salary: ₹3,64,840 per year. ...
  2. Nephrologist. National average salary: ₹3,79,732 per year. ...
  3. Orthopaedic surgeon. National average salary: ₹4,78,829 per year. ...
  4. Urologist. ...
  5. Neurologist. ...
  6. Oncologist. ...
  7. Surgeon. ...
  8. Pulmonologist.
Apr 6, 2023

How many patients can a doctor see in a day in Ontario? ›

There is no limit set by OHIP on the number of medical issues that may be dealt with during a patient's visit to a physician or the time allotted for each visit. There are no limits to the number of patients a physician can see and physicians will be compensated for every service they provide.”

Do Canadian doctors make money from prescriptions? ›

For the first time, Canadians have been given a glimpse at the millions of dollars doctors receive from pharmaceutical companies each year — though critics say the move stops far short of true transparency.

Do Ontario doctors get paid for phone calls? ›

'” According to the OMA, telephone services will be paid by OHIP at 85 per cent of in-person care for patients with an existing relationship with a physician. Core mental health treatments via telephone will be paid at 95 per cent of in-person care.

Do doctors get paid more in Canada or USA? ›

Do doctors make more in Canada or the US? On average, doctors gross more in the US. However, expenses are much higher in the US as well, with malpractice insurance much less expensive in Canada. American doctors also tend to have far more staff to deal with the massive payment bureaucracies.

Is Canada a good place to live as a doctor? ›

While there are many options available, it can be difficult to decide which route is best for you if you're just beginning your career or if you're going back to school or changing careers. Canada has a booming medical industry and is consistently ranked as one of the best countries in the world for healthcare.

Where does Canada rank in healthcare compared to the US? ›

The Commonwealth Fund's 2021 report comparing the healthcare systems of 11 developed countries ranked Canada in 10th place, ahead of the United States, which was at the very bottom.

How much do Canadian doctors make compared to US doctors? ›

Physicians in the US earn anywhere from $260,000 – $324,000 per annum, whereas their Canadian counterparts receive between $206,000 – $261,000. Over the years, the gap in doctor's salaries between the two nations has gradually reduced.

Which doctor is in demand in Canada? ›

All of these jobs fall under National Occupational Classification (NOC) code 3111 for specialist physicians, apart from family medicine, which falls under 3112.
  • Ophthalmologist. ...
  • Cardiothoracic Surgeon. ...
  • Neurosurgeon. ...
  • Urologist. ...
  • General surgeon. ...
  • Otolaryngologist. ...
  • Orthopaedic surgeon. ...
  • Anesthetist.
Sep 10, 2021

Is there a demand for doctors in Ontario? ›

The employment outlook will be very good for General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 3112) in Ontario for the 2022-2024 period.
...
Legend.
LocationJob prospects
Toronto RegionVery good
Windsor-Sarnia RegionVery good
9 more rows
Feb 9, 2023

How much money does a pharmacist make in Ontario? ›

The national average salary for a Pharmacist is $106,024 in Canada. Filter by location to see Pharmacist salaries in your area. Salary estimates are based on 956 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Pharmacist employees. How accurate does $106,024 look to you?

Can a US RN work in Canada? ›

If you are an Internationally Registered Nurse (IEN) and you wish to work as a nurse in Canada, you will need to complete an application with NNAS. You may apply for a licence in a Canadian province of your choice as a Registered Nurse (RN), a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), or a Registered Psychiatric Nurse (RPN).

How much does a police officer make in Ontario? ›

Police Officer Salaries in Ontario

The provincial hourly rate ranges from $30.05-$57.69/hr with a median hourly wage of $46.15/hr. The salary range for police officers in Ontario is $56k-$117k/year, while the median annual salary is $97,115/year.

How much does a lawyer make in Ontario? ›

In 2023, lawyer salaries in Ontario are, on average, $143,861, one of the country's highest averages in the country.
...
Lawyer Salary in Canada Provincial Breakdown.
ProvinceOntario
Low Salary$59,527
Average Salary$143,861
High Salary$367,846
13 more columns

How much does a dentist make in Canada? ›

How much does a Dentist make in Canada? The average dentist salary in Canada is $180,000 per year or $92.31 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $119,600 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $226,581 per year.

How much does an ophthalmologist make in Ontario? ›

Ophthalmologist Salary in Ontario
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$364,000$30,333
75th Percentile$300,000$25,000
Average$238,501$19,875
25th Percentile$197,500$16,458

What is pharmacist salary? ›

How much does a vet make in Ontario? ›

Veterinarian Salary in Ontario
Annual SalaryMonthly Pay
Top Earners$151,500$12,625
75th Percentile$120,500$10,041
Average$101,039$8,419
25th Percentile$84,500$7,041

How much does a nurse practitioner make in Ontario? ›

At a $145,250 average annual salary, NPs in Ontario tend to earn less than nurse anesthetists ($283,550).

Which state pays doctors the most? ›

Kentucky and Tennessee have the highest average annual compensation for physicians, according to Medscape's "Physician Compensation Report 2022." To determine the top-earning states for physicians, Medscape collected responses from more than 13,000 physicians in more than 29 specialties from Oct.

What's the easiest doctor to become? ›

Least Competitive Medical Specialties
  1. Family Medicine. Average Step 1 Score: 216.1. ...
  2. Psychiatry. Average Step 1 Score: 223.1. ...
  3. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Average Step 1 Score: 224.2. ...
  4. Pediatrics. Average Step 1 Score: 226.4. ...
  5. Internal Medicine (Categorical) Average Step 1 Score: 231.4. ...
  6. Anesthesiology.
Mar 21, 2023

What is the easiest doctor to become with high salary? ›

The 10 Least Competitive Specialties in Medicine
  • Psychiatry.
  • Emergency Medicine.
  • Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
  • Neurology.
  • Child Neurology.
  • Pathology.
  • Internal Medicine.
  • Anesthesiology.
Sep 10, 2022

What is the least stressful type of doctor? ›

Least Stressful Medical Specialties
  • Plastic Surgery. ...
  • Ophthalmology. ...
  • Orthopedics. ...
  • Emergency Medicine. ...
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) ...
  • Neurology. ...
  • Urology. ...
  • Critical Care. Critical care physician burnout rate (56%) was only second to Emergency Medicine in Medscape's 2022 report.
Jan 3, 2023

What is the most stressful doctor specialty? ›

In the Medscape survey, the highest percentage of physician burnout occurred among these medical specialties:
  • Urology: 54%.
  • Neurology: 50%.
  • Nephrology: 49%.
  • Diabetes and endocrinology: 46%.
  • Family medicine: 46%.
  • Radiology: 46%.
Jan 21, 2020

Is law school harder than med school? ›

In short, medical school is hands-on and requires a lot of memorization. Law school requires analytical work and critical thinking. Law school requires heavy reading and writing while medical school requires learning about problems through clinical studies and hands-on training.

How much do top doctors make an hour? ›

According to the BLS, the average hourly wage of a doctor is roughly $89. The hourly wage is higher for some specialties and lower for other specialties. Anesthesiologists average about $113 an hour, surgeons average about $111 an hour, internists average about $91 an hour, and pediatricians average about $81 an hour.

What is the highest paid surgeon in the world? ›

Neurosurgeon

Neurosurgery is the highest-paid specialty in the medical profession. With patients suffering from brain-related illness or injury, neurosurgeons must have experience and expertise with the brain, spine, spinal cord and nervous system.

Can a doctor refuse to treat a patient in Ontario? ›

Many people may be unaware that in Canada, doctors have the “right” to refuse to provide legal and necessary treatments based on their personal or religious beliefs. Further, doctors usually don't even have to refer patients to someone who can provide the objected-to service.

How long are doctor shifts in Ontario? ›

Ontario's medical residents continue to operate under the 24-hour-shift schedule, but changes that would see them working fewer consecutive hours are inevitable, some doctors say.

Can my doctor drop me as a patient in Ontario? ›

Physicians must notify the patient of the decision to end the physician-patient relationship. Physicians are advised to notify each patient in person, whenever it is safe and possible to do so.

Why is medicine cheaper in Canada than the US? ›

The single biggest factor is that drug manufacturers operating out of the U.S. and wholesalers cannot set drug prices as they'd like. There are fewer intermediaries or "middlemen" in the Canadian pharmaceutical chain who often mark up prices such as those in the United States of America.

Do Canadian doctors pay taxes? ›

Learn which tax credits, deductions and government benefit programs you might be eligible for as a practising physician in Canada. As a physician, one of the most significant expenses you incur during your professional career is federal and provincial income taxes.

Do doctors make money on lab tests? ›

It works like this: A doctor sends a patient sample to an outside lab for testing. The lab charges the doctor a discounted price -- say, $30 for a skin biopsy. The doctor then gets reimbursed by the patient's insurer for a much higher amount, say $100. The difference, $70, is profit for the doctor.

What can Ontario doctors charge for? ›

Whether it is a sick note or a prescription over the phone, most Ontario doctors are now charging their patients for uninsured services. Doctors in Ontario can charge additional fees to their patients for any service that is not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP).

How much does a family doctor make in Ontario? ›

$303,656

Are doctors in Ontario salaried? ›

Curious about what a doctor's annual salary is in Canada? This article lists the average yearly compensation for physicians across 17 different specialties.
...
By province — Average physician gross annual income.
ProvinceAnnual income
Nova Scotia$357,318
Ontario$356,508
Newfoundland and Labrador$355,523
Average$387,756
7 more rows

Are Canadian doctors paid per patient? ›

Doctors in Canada earn fees on a per patient basis, which are then billed to and reimbursed to the respective provincial government. This means the rate that they earn per patient depends on their specialization and the medical issue required.

Are doctors salaries public in Ontario? ›

One requirement under this agreement is to disclose annually by March 31, the names, positions, salaries and total taxable benefits of OntarioMD employees paid $100,000 or more in a calendar year, and to make this information available to the public.

How much is a patient worth to a doctor? ›

Lifetime Value = V x N x Y

Let's say, for example, you run a dental practice, and your average patient makes 3 appointments a year, worth $150 each, and stays with your practice an average of 6 years. The average lifetime value of your patients would be 3 x $150 x 6, or $2,700.

Do doctors get money for ordering tests? ›

Most of your healthcare providers do not earn any profits based on your medical testing. Kickbacks or commissions, where a laboratory or facility pays a healthcare provider for referrals, are illegal in most states in the United States, although there are certainly examples of fraud.

Do doctors in Canada get paid more than us? ›

It is a fairly well-known fact that doctors in the US are paid more than their neighbors in Canada. The major reason behind this lies in the differences between the healthcare systems in each country and their impact on a doctor's earning potential.

How do doctors in Canada get paid if healthcare is free? ›

Doctors earn money by billing their provincial government for the services they provide to patients. The Canadian health system is often referred to as “socialized” medicine, but it is actually a mix of private providers billing governments for publicly funded services.

Do doctors in Ontario get a pension? ›

Most physicians operate as self-employed independent contractors and the vast majority of Canada's more than 90,000 doctors do not have a pension plan.

Are doctors in demand in Ontario? ›

For General practitioners and family physicians, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 48,900 , while 29,400 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them.

Do doctors get paid by how many patients they see? ›

Study authors from the Rand Corporation analyzed a large collection of medical practices owned by health systems, discovering that volume-based compensation is the most typical base-pay arrangement among over 80 percent of considered primary care doctors. That number balloons to 90 percent of physician specialists.

Can you negotiate prices with doctors? ›

Yes, it can be done. "The billing departments of health care facilities and medical offices are used to negotiating," said Michelle Rice, chief external affairs officer at the National Hemophilia Foundation. "So don't hesitate to ask for a reduction if a medical bill is too high for you or your family."

Why do doctors charge so much? ›

Doctors get paid more. Hospital services and diagnostic tests cost more. And a lot more money goes to planning, regulating and managing medical services at the administrative level.

Do doctors get paid for prescribing drugs? ›

Under this statute, it is illegal for a physician to receive remuneration for referring a patient for a service that will be paid in whole or in part by a federal health care program or for prescribing or recommending the purchase of a drug that will be paid in whole or in part by a federal health care program.

Why do doctors send you for so many tests? ›

Many times numerous tests are ordered during the initial patient visit for the patient's convenience so that they will not have to return for additional phlebotomy and testing. Another reason may that the physician perceives this may be their only chance to get this information.

Do doctors get paid more the more patients they have? ›

“These data indicate that higher-earning physicians earn more not by treating more patients but by offering more services per beneficiary.

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