Date: 01-Oct-2010

Request for Feedback on Proposed Revisions to the By-Law on Fees

The College is pleased to provide you with an opportunity to comment on proposed changes to its By-law on Fees.

The proposed change to the Fee By-law is a moderate fee increase to reflect the inflationary increases in the cost of conducting the College’s business since the last fee increase in 2006.

More detailed information on these proposed changes is provided below.

You can provide your feedback to Rod Hamilton, Associate Registrar, Policy in a variety of ways:

By phone: 1-800-583-5885 or 416-591-3828, extension 232
By mail: 375 University Avenue, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2J5
By fax: 416-591-3834
By E-mail: rhamilton@collegept.org
Online: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/253PGFM This is a link to an online survey that can help you provide your feedback very easily.

Proposed Fee By-law Background

The opportunity for registrants to provide comments on proposed by-law changes is an important step in the policy development process and provides registrants with an opportunity to input into the rules that govern their profession. Your feedback is important and will be tabulated and used by Council in its final deliberations on these draft documents in December.

To be considered, your feedback must be received by Friday, December 3, 2010.

Over the past several months Council, on behalf of the profession, has been diligently reviewing and debating its financial health related to the ongoing and developing mandate and work of the College.

The key elements considered in these discussions have including the following:

College operations have managed all mandated and strategic functions within budget since 2004.
College investment funds sustained no loss in the economic downturn of 2009
College investments (within current conservative strategy) attained a 4.5% increase to base over the past 5 years compared to the TSX equity strategy which yielded 5.3%. Council’s strategy has both preserved capital and provided growth.
College service contracts and technology platforms are consistently reviewed to seek cost effective alternatives.
Consistently 25% or more of all projects are cost shared with external partners to increase efficiencies.
College business changed in June 2009 with the introduction of Bill 171. Three new objects were introduced to mandated business:

To promote and enhance relations between the College and its members, other health profession colleges, key stakeholders, and the public

To promote inter-professional collaboration with other health profession colleges

To develop, establish, and maintain standards and programs to promote the ability of members to respond to changes in practice environments, advances in technology and other emerging issues.

The implementation of the new scope of physiotherapy practice is anticipated by 2012.
Accountability relationships have increased:

To the Office of Fairness Commissioner in December 2006

To Health Force Ontario and the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) for database submissions

To Ontario Labor Mobility Agreement (OLMA) – December 2009

To Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) – 2010

To provincial and federal human resource databases

The HST will have a bottom line impact on operations of at least $120,000. For fiscal year 2010-11, a partial HST year, this cost is estimated at $70,000 and has been absorbed in the current operating budget.
The College has absorbed costs associated with compound inflation rates of approximately $80,000 (7.5%) since 2006.
Last fee increase was $25 in 2006

The responsibility of Council is to ensure the achievement of the College’s legislated mandate balanced with effective fiscal management and an appropriate/reasonable revenue stream (fees). As the cost of operations begins to outstrip revenue, Council debated its options with regard to the College current and future financial realities. These options included:

To maintain the current fee structure and draw down on reserves.
To apply the 13% HST
To increase fees by 6% or $35 to align revenues and current cost of business

Outcomes of the debate focused on the concern of running a deficit budget and the erosion of the profession’s fiscal security over time. Adding the flat rate of the HST would raise revenues beyond an increase necessary at this time. The proposed increase of $35.00 to the Independent Practice category reflects the actual revenue needs of the College.

Proposed adjustments to each registration certificate are as follows:

Certificate Type	Current Fee	Proposed Fee
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice – expiring March 31	$ 600.00	$635.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice – issued for 4 months	$250.00	$265.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Provisional Practice	$70.00	$75.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Academic Practice	$285.00	$300.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Teaching Practice	$35.00	no change
Inactive Certificate of Registration	$140.00	$150.00

Your comments on this proposal are welcome on or before Friday, December 3, 2010.

Below are materials to assist in responding to this proposed bylaw amendment. All comments will be provided to Council for review at its December 2010 meeting.

College of Physiotherapists of Ontario – Fee By-Law

FEES – REGISTRATION

42. (1)(a) Upon application for registration, every applicant shall pay a non refundable application fee and a registration fee.

(b) The application and registration fees are as follows:

Application fee	For an initial application or re-application (see exception below)	$100.00
	For a re-application within one year of the termination date of a certificate of registration issued by this College	No Fee
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice	For a certificate issued until the next March 31	$635.00
	For a certificate issued for 4 months	$265.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Provisional Practice		$75.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Academic Practice		$300.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Teaching Practice		$35.00

(2)(a) Every registrant with a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice, a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Academic Practice or an Inactive Certificate of Registration shall pay a renewal fee.

(b) The renewal fee is as follows:

Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice	For a certificate issued until the next March 31	$635.00
	For a certificate issued for 4 months	$265.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Academic Practice		$300.00
Inactive Certificate of Registration		$150.00

(3)(a) Where a person with a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice changes to an Inactive Certificate of Registration, he or she will pay no additional renewal fee.

(b) Where a person with an Inactive Certificate of Registration who has paid a renewal fee of $140.00 for that year changes to a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice, he or she shall pay the applicable fee.

(4)(a) The renewal fee is due on or before March 31 in each membership year or, in the case of a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice issued for four months, four months after its issuance and at any other time specified by the by-law.

(b) If a registrant holding a Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice, or Academic Practice or an Inactive Certificate of Registration fails to pay a renewal fee on or before the day on which the fee is due, the registrant shall pay a penalty in addition to the renewal fee, as follows:

Certificate of Registration Authorizing Independent Practice	$225.00
Certificate of Registration Authorizing Academic Practice	$100.00
Inactive Certificate of Registration	$25.00

(5) If the Registrar suspends a registrant’s certificate of registration for failure to pay a prescribed fee, the Registrar shall terminate the suspension on payment of

(a) the current renewal fee; and

(b) any applicable penalties.

Proposed By-Law Amendments

Question	Yes	No
1. Do you believe that the College should amend its Fee By-law to reflect the increased costs of the College’s operations?
2. Do you have any concerns about these proposed changes?
Comments:

Return to Rod Hamilton, Associate Registrar, Policy: at 1-800-583-5885 or 416-591-3828, extension 232; fax 416-591-3834; e-mail rhamilton@collegept.org; online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/253PGFM , or mail to 375 University Avenue, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2J5. To be considered, feedback must be received by Friday, December 3, 2010.