Stipends and the AMA Master Agreement
The AMA Master Agreement provides physicians impacted by stipend arrangements a fair process to review all stipend payments. Please refer to Schedule 6 of the AMA-AH Agreement (beginning on page 46 of the PDF).
As physicians impacted by stipend arrangement changes, you may have been approached by and are already involved in discussions with AHS regarding a proposed alternative to your current AHS compensation arrangement (as administered most often through a stipend). Agreement to any alternative compensation arrangement offered (prior to any formal process as contained within Schedule 6) is a completely voluntary option for physicians. It may not benefit from the transparency the process outlined in Schedule 6 offers and should only be done with the full support of physicians.
If you choose not to accept an offer to transition away from an AHS compensation arrangement at this time, we understand that you will be entitled to retain your current AHS stipend/income guarantee payment until your stipend program has been reviewed by the Stipend Working Group, once formed. If you agree to a new funding arrangement such as an alternative payment arrangement before the Schedule 6 process occurs, the stipend will be replaced, and the Schedule 6 process will no longer be applicable.
If you have more questions regarding stipends and the process afforded to physicians under the AMA Master Agreement, we encourage you to contact the AMA.
AMA advocacy
The AMA continues to advocate and negotiate on behalf of physician programs that are having particular difficulty attracting and retaining physicians.
More information
AMA representation and support
The AMA Stipend Action Committee (SAC) was assembled to address, at a provincial level, the concerns expressed by various groups being impacted by changes in AHS stipend arrangements.
AH-AMA Stipend Working Group
The formation of the AH-AMA Stipend Working Group (SWG) is in development. The SWG will be comprised of an independent chair, AMA staff and physician members, and Alberta Health observers (non-voting).
The SWG’s purpose is to review the current stipends paid by AHS to physicians, and develop and implement a process in keeping with the principles set out in clause 4 (b) of Schedule 6 in the AMA Agreement, and make written recommendations to the Management Committee (MC) by March 31, 2025. The SWG is also able to review current programs and any other programs as deemed appropriate.