Underserviced Area Program
The Underserviced Area Program (UAP) is one of a number of supports provided by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to help underserviced communities recruit and retain health professionals. Every three months, the Ministry publishes a list of areas in Ontario designated as underserviced (LADUA). The list can be found on the Ministry’s website (see bottom of page). This designation is based largely on the “pop/doc” ratio of the community, which is determined by the Ministry of Health following the community’s application for such a rating.
The Free Tuition Program offers grants of up to $40,000 (or $10,000 per year) in exchange for a three or four year return-of-service commitment in an underserviced or undersupplied area in Ontario. The program has two components: the reimbursement of medical undergraduate tuition fees and a location incentive fund.
Physicians who relocate to these designated underserviced communities are eligible for one of the following incentive grants:
Family Physicians
Northern Ontario:
Incentive grants of up to $40,000 paid quarterly ($10,000 per year over four years) are available to family physicians or general practitioners.
Southern Ontario:
Incentive grants of up to $15,000 paid over four years ($6,000 the first year and $3,000 in each of the next three years) are available to family physicians or general practitioners establishing a full time practice. Please note: not all underserviced communities in Southern Ontario are eligible.
Specialists (excluding Psychiatrists)
Northern Ontario:
Incentive grants of up to $20,000 paid quarterly ($ 5,000 per year over four years) are available. If a specialist elects to provide a minimum of 12 days of outreach services per year to communities at least 40 km from his or her home-base, he or she is eligible to apply for an additional incentive grant of up to $20,000 paid quarterly ($5,000 per year over four years). This additional grant must be applied for within four years of establishing a practice in an underserviced area.
Application must be made before relocating. T4As are not issued by the Ministry of Health, but it is suggested that the physician speak with his or her accountant regarding the possibility of tax exemption.
Northern Physician Retention Initiative (NPRI)
To be eligible for funding, physicians must be practising full-time in a fee-for-service practice, community health centre or approved alternate payment plan. As well, they must have completed a minimum of four years of continuous full-time practice in Northern Ontario and must continue to provide full-time practice in Northern Ontario until the end of that fiscal year. The territorial districts include Algoma, Cochrane, Kenora, Manitoulin, Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timiskaming.
Physicians may be reimbursed for travel expenses when visiting a designated underserviced community to assess its full-time practice opportunities. The Ministry of Health, prior to making the trip, must approve these expenses.
For more information regarding the above programs, please contact the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, North Region Health Care Programs at (705) 564-7280 or visit their web site.