Ontario Health Insurance Plan

INFOBulletin

Updating the Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program

Increases and additional changes to PPLBP effective April 1, 2022

To: All Physicians
Category: Physician Services; Primary Health Care Services
Written by: Claims Services Branch; OHIP, Pharmaceuticals and Devices Division
Date issued: April 1, 2022
Bulletin Number: 220405

The Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association have been working together to implement physician compensation increases in accordance with the 2021 Physician Services Agreement.

Below are the following changes to the Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program (PPLBP), effective April 1, 2022:

• The benefit payment maximum is increased from $1,035 per week to $1,300 per week.
• The benefit calculation has been increased from 50% to 75% of the physician’s average weekly gross eligible earnings in Ontario in the 12-month period immediately preceding the start date of the PPLBP leave.
• Eligible physicians who start their PPLBP leave from April 1, 2022 onwards will receive up to 17 weeks. This applies to all parents, i.e., those giving birth, or otherwise becoming a parent (including adoption, surrogates) and including stillbirth.
• Pregnancy or parental leave may be initiated within 12 months of the child joining the parent and must be completed within 12 months of the child joining the parent.
• Pregnancy or parental leave does not have to be taken consecutively but must be taken for no less than two weeks at a time. All non-consecutive weeks of leave must still be in 7-day increments from Sunday to Saturday.
• Eligible physicians receiving PPLBP benefits may earn gross eligible earnings up to $1,300 a week without deduction during the course of their leave.
• Current exceptions in the pregnancy and parental leave benefit program will continue, as reflected in the Ministry’s Pregnancy and Parental Leave Benefit Program Guidelines.

Keywords/Tags

PSA; payments; physicians; Physicians Services Agreement; PPLBP; Pregnancy and Parental Leave

Contact Information

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