Rather than increasing yearly fees across the board for all
regulated members, the CCOA is increasing specific fees to help offset costs. Most increases in fees are avoidable by
adhering to CCOA requirements.
Cultivate
your regulatory compliance mindset by:
o
Reading all communications from the CCOA.
o
Taking your continuing competence seriously and engaging in
self-reflective practice.
o
Understanding and addressing your biases and risks in practice.
o
Refreshing yourself on modern ethical standards in healthcare
delivery.
o
Expanding your perspectives by serving on a committee or council
of the CCOA or another regulatory college.
o
Staying up to date with standards and always follow them.
o
Orient your practice to patient safety that includes adapting
your awareness for social and cultural values regarding professional
boundaries.
o
Engaging in ethical, patient centered care and evidence-based
practice.
Why is a $100 conduct/competence levy added in 2024-25?
The conduct/competence levy will be
used at Council’s discretion to help fund CCOA’s professional conduct area,
proactive regulatory initiatives, or the CCOA’s regulatory reserves.
The CCOA is receiving an increasing volume and complexity of professional misconduct complaints, including a higher number of sexual abuse and sexual misconduct complaints. Additionally, there are complex files that are still ongoing from prior years. The conduct/competence levy may be used to offset the increasing costs of the CCOA professional conduct area.
This levy may also help to offset
the cost of CCOA’s proactive regulatory initiatives, such as the Practice
Advisor. Although it is 100% the responsibility of regulated members to
understand and follow regulatory requirements, the CCOA is offering some
services to assist chiropractors in understanding and following ethics and
standards required in practice in Alberta.
Will we be required to pay the professional conduct levy every
year?
The
CCOA will assess, on a yearly basis, the need for the levy, based on the
activities of the past year, current/expected complaints and discipline cases
in the coming year, and whether the CCOA regulatory reserve fund has reached
its target amount.
Why is there a new $1000 fee for Continuing Competence Repeat noncompliance?
The
CCOA is implementing a new fee of $1000 for those regulated members who are
repeatedly non-compliant with continuing competence requirements. Coaching and
monitoring of repeated non-compliant professionals takes a significant amount
of resources from the CCOA. Failure to
take the continuing competence program seriously poses a risk to the public.
Most
chiropractors have internalized the importance of compliance with the
continuing competence program and believe in lifelong education in the public
interest. Unfortunately, there are some who still require strong deterrents and
coaching to compel their compliance. Repeated violations of the continuing
competence program may result in discipline in addition to high penalties.
Discipline is costly, and colleges have legal limitations on the ability to
recover costs of discipline from offending professionals. All these factors
contribute to the CCOA’s decision to create this new $1000 fee for repeated
non-compliance.
Why are fees for onsite review increasing? How can a I avoid an
onsite review?
Onsite Review Fees will increase from $1500 to $2000. This
increase will help recover some of the actual costs of onsite reviews.
Onsite reviews occur when a regulated member has failed
to address deficient record keeping and practice performance issues identified
by the CCOA Competence Committee. The regulated member could avoid an onsite
review and the associated fee by addressing the issues outlined in the results
letters for their original practice review, remedial practice review or their
individual coaching call that includes a subsequent remedial review.
What have been CCOA fees over time?
For
the third year since the CCOA became a single mandate regulator, the CCOA is
not increasing yearly dues. Below are the dues for the last ten years in
Alberta. Prior to 2021, the association and college were combined in one
organization, and the fees reflect membership in both.
YEAR
|
TOTAL
|
DUES
|
MAPP
|
10%
DISCOUNT
|
NRP Fee
|
CMCC Fee
|
CCGI
Levy
|
2013/2014
|
$2,964.00
|
$1,764.00
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2014/2015
|
$2,964.00
|
$1,764.00
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2015/2016
|
$2,964.00
|
$1,764.00
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2016/2017
|
$3,052.00
|
$1,852.00
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2017/2018
|
$3,052.00
|
$1,852.00
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2018/2019
|
$3,144.60
|
$1,944.60
|
$1,200.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2019/2020
|
$3,094.60
|
$3,044.60
|
Included
in dues
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
2020/2021
|
$2,940.14
|
$3,044.60
|
Included
in dues
|
-$304.46
|
$100.00
|
$100.00
|
N/A
|
2021/2022
|
$3,244.60
|
$3,044.60
|
Included
in dues
|
N/A
|
$100.00
|
$100.00
|
N/A
|
2022/2023
|
$1,925.00
|
$1,900.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$25.00
|
2023/2024
|
$1,925.00
|
$1,900.00
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
$25.00
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MAPP = Marketing and Promotion Program
|
|
|
|
|
|
10% DISCOUNT = COVID CLOSURE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NRP = National Research Program
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CMCC = Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
|
|
|
|
|
|
CCGI = Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative
|
|
|
|
|
|
2022/2023 became single mandate as CCOA
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where can I see how the CCOA spends its money?
The
CCOA is accountable to the government and the public for its operations. We
also owe a responsibility toward regulated members to ensure the regulator is
properly resourced and is fiscally responsible. Every year, CCOA files a yearly
report with the government, which is tabled in the Legislature and made
available to the public and regulated members on the CCOA website. The annual
report includes the CCOA’s audited financial statements. Professional auditors
conduct a comprehensive audit of the CCOA every year.
Other
health regulators post their financial statements in their annual reports, as
well. If you are interested in how other
regulators manage their budgets, you are encouraged to look at other college’s
annual reports.