INSURANCE SCANDAL
I wonder if many doctors are happy with their Ontario Medical Association (OMA) insurance package. They may well be unpleasantly surprised should they have to make a claim on the basis of partial disability. It seems that this term is anathema to the insurers as several colleagues and myself have found out over the years. It would appear that the OMA, the insurers and, dare I say, a group of greedy physician assessors

on the insurers' payroll, have formed an unholy alliance to stymie all claims by partially disabled physicians. These physician assessors can often be recognized by their posh office settings including Persian carpets and rosewood furniture. If the OMA execs were to divulge their conflict of interest — such as gifts, paid travel conventions and such — I am willing to bet that we will have quite a few surprises. The insurers' perspective is always to expect the client to pay up. But to succeed in a claim the burden of proof is on the physician to show just how disabled he or she is. I would very much like to hear other physicians' ideas on this topic.

Dr Farook Hossenbux
Ottawa, ON

For more on physician disability insurance, keep a lookout for an article on this very topic in an upcoming issue. — Ed

GREAT GIFT
The gift basket arrived today and Cathy was delighted (winner of the administrative assistant contest). She even took some time out from installing a new faucet in the bathroom to open her gift! Thank you.

Dr Ian Maxwell
Barrie, ON

Glad she liked it! Look for our profile of admin assistant extraordinaire Cathy Wood in an upcoming issue. — Ed

COVERING THE ISSUES
Thanks for sending me on the October 15, 2004 issue of the National Review of Medicine with Part I of the Euthanasia Debate (Vol 1 No 19). I was anticipating Part II would also be in the package but it was missing. Would you mind sending a couple of copies of the October 30 issue, which included Part II, "Assisted suicide cases put dignity on trial" (Vol 1, No 20). Thanks again for showing leadership in covering this important topic in NRM.

Martin Frith
Dying with Dignity
Toronto, Ontario

We're more than happy to send you a few copies. You can also find both articles on our website. — Ed

NO VALUE IN A CCFP
I have a different spin on the family medicine certification issue covered in the articles "Trying... and trying... to get my CCFP" (Vol 2 No 1) in the January 15 issue and "It's not the testing, it's the test" (Vol 2 No 3) in the February 15 issue. I completed the FP residency program several years ago and sat the exams. It was hinted during our training that with a CCFP (Certificate, College of Family Physicians) we could likely command higher fees than the 'ordinary' GP. After a few years in practice I decided to let my membership lapse because I wasn't seeing any value for my money. You wouldn't believe the song and dance I received from the College! Not only did they demand I return my certificate, it was implied that I must suffer from some sort of mental illness to have made such a decision.

It's close to 20 years later and I have no regrets. I attend lots of CME courses each year, enough to satisfy any organization, and the money I save has gone towards a better purpose — college tuition for my children. Incidentally, Dr Barbara Watts was a classmate of mine and in my humble opinion, one of the sharpest in the class. I wish she was my family doctor.

Dr Cathy Andrew
Toronto, ON