COVID-19 and CMPA Protection – What you need to know

March 13, 2020

During the COVID-19 crisis you may be asked to join the emergency response effort. This may necessitate work in a different clinical setting (e.g. emergency room) or in a different province where the need is greater.

You may be concerned about your CMPA protection.

Rest assured that the CMPA will do our part to facilitate safe care during this time of crisis. As a member, your medical-legal protection will not be a barrier to the required pandemic response. More specifically:

• The CMPA will continue to provide members with liability protection for medical-legal difficulties arising as a result of care provided in Canada in the context of the COVID-19 efforts.
• The Association would exercise its discretion to extend assistance to members who provide medical care outside their usual field of practice or who provide care in Canada, but outside their designated province of work.
• During the pandemic, you are not required to inform the CMPA of a change in Type of Work (TOW) or Province of Work (POW) prior to commencing your efforts, but the CMPA would appreciate hearing from you when it is feasible or if you have any questions.
• Physicians are encouraged to consult with the relevant medical regulators (Colleges) to ensure the appropriate licensing approvals are in place related to their province of work and scope of practice.
• Despite the challenging conditions of a pandemic, physicians will be expected to continue to act professionally on behalf of their patients.
• Members should document their rationale for decisions under crisis situations to assist in the event of medical-legal difficulties.
• CMPA Physician Advisors are available to provide support throughout the pandemic and can be reached at 1-800-267-6522 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET or through the CMPA member portal.

Retired Physicians

Physicians who are no longer members but are seeking membership in order to assist with the pandemic response will be able to do so.

If you previously held membership with the CMPA, you may reactivate your membership now. Your CMPA member number and a valid password are required. Contact the CMPA at 1-800-267-6522 for assistance in reactivating membership.

Re-applications will be prioritized with a target processing time of no more than 2 business days. They will be registered in Type of Work (TOW) 8 (Humanitarian Category) which represents the lowest fee category.

CMPA Membership Services and Physician Advisors are available to provide support throughout the pandemic and can be reached at 1-800-267-6522 Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.