Dear colleagues
 
CMA’s - aluta continua
 
After the brief policy statement you received last month, I would like to expand on the reasoning behind OSSA’s statement. Particularly, the complaint has been made that OSSA Executive acts in a high-handed way to protect the turf of members in large group practices and members who own eye hospitals. Nothing could be further from the truth.
 
After numerous attempts at getting the standpoint of HPCSA on the issue, OSSA received a letter from HPCSA in 2006, stating that CMA’s were unacceptable and that it was our Society’s ethical obligation to bring to their attention all of those entities and professionals who may be involved in agreements that are inconsistent with the HPCSA framework. This was the last correspondence addressed to OSSA on the issue. Further attempts were made at getting a ruling on a revised CMA contract, but without success. For that reason, OSSA decided in May 2009, with the aim of protecting our members, to issue the statement referred to earlier. The following points need to be made:
 
1. OSSA is under an obligation to convey rulings of the HPCSA to its members. The profession is regulated not by supplier companies or lawyers with legal             opinions, but by the HPCSA.
 
2. When OSSA or OMG negotiates fees or interprets rulings by statutory bodies, the ability of the solo practitioner in a rural area to practice Ophthalmology safely     and sustainably is non-negotiable.
 
3. In CMA’s, for various reasons, the doctor involved in a CMA is not only acting contrary to HPCSA’s rulings, but is also being abused.
  
4. CMA’s have unintended long term consequences regarding in particular equipment fees. Again many of the issues are very sensitive and cannot be debated in an     open forum.  Feel free to discuss this with us.
 
5. OSSA and OMG are ready to assist you in winding up CMA’s as smoothly and painlessly as possible. There are many options available and we will be happy     to guide you if you so wish.
 
Please contact myself, OMG (Casper Venter or Ernst Ackerman), Jan Talma or Louis Kruger with any questions.
 
We will be available to discuss this and other issues at the  Glaucoma weekend as well as the SACRS meeting. We will furthermore also arrange for trips to the big centres where we will be available for discussion.
 
Please be assured that this decision was not taken lightly and we only have the best interests of the profession at heart
 
Kind regards

DR CHRIS H GOUWS
PRESIDENT OSSA
083 262 2945
chrisgouws@shisas.com

DR LOUIS P KRUGER
CHAIRMAN OMG
082 551 7730
lkretina@mweb.co.za