Salaried physician programs: the Manitoba experience

The method by which physicians are compensated, particularly the fee-for-service model, is the subject of considerable debate among health policy analysts, funding agencies, health care administrators, and the medical community at large. Prevailing arguments identify the shortcomings of the fee-for-service model but generally fail to explore alternate methods of remuneration for physicians. This article examines the deficiencies in the fee-for-service model and examines an alternate remuneration model--a salary-based system now being used in seven rural Manitoba communities.