Changes to Registration and Application Fees
Each year Council reviews CMTO’s audited financial statements, financial projections for future years and cost drivers to set fees for the coming year. Over the last several years, CMTO has experienced an increase in complaints, particularly complaints around sexual abuse, which result in complex, higher-cost investigations and hearings. CMTO has also made significant investments to improve applicant, registrant and client experience with CMTO through:
- New online systems to simplify the processing of applications and renewals;
- A new public register to allow anyone to easily find an RMT;
- A refreshed website that is easier to navigate; and
- Enhancements to STRiVE – the Quality Assurance Program.
Even with the cost of these investments and the increase in complaints, CMTO has not raised fees significantly since 2019 for several reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic. This has resulted in significant pressure on CMTO’s finances as the organization continues to deliver on its legislative mandate, while managing a higher than predicted rate of inflation.
To continue meeting regulatory requirements and supporting RMTs in the delivery of safe and effective care, CMTO is proposing the following:
- Increasing the General Certificate fee by $100 in 2023 (from $797 to $897).
- Increasing the Inactive Certificate fee to 50% of the General Certificate fee (from $200 to $448.50 in 2023).
- Increasing the application fee from $100 to $225. In addition to raising this fee in 2023, the proposed change will allow Council to raise the application fee equal to the annual rate of inflation, rounded to the nearest dollar, moving forward.
- Increasing the General Certificate fee by no more than $75 a year to bring some consistency and predictability to fee increases.
Raising fees is only one of several ways CMTO is addressing current financial pressures, and we are actively working to reduce costs, including in investigations and IT development. Learn more about how Council reached its decision by reviewing the presentation and briefing note presented at the May 2022 meeting.
To allow these fee increases, CMTO’s Council is proposing changes to By-Law No.7, which sets out CMTO fees. Because the proposed increase is above what the by-law currently permits, CMTO must circulate the proposed changes for 60 days. View the proposed changes and rationale for each change.
Next steps
CMTO is circulating the proposed changes until July 19, 2022. View the proposed by-law changes and presentation and briefing note provided to Council to support its decision making.
Provide your feedback
Council will set the 2023 fees following the circulation period.
CMTO recognizes the challenges healthcare professionals, including RMTs, faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and that these increases have an impact on RMTs and applicants. These proposed changes will allow CMTO to continue meeting its public protection mandate and CMTO is grateful for the profession’s commitment to regulation in the public interest.
Consultation Feedback
The Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario submitted a letter to CMTO detailing its position on CMTO’s proposed fee increase. CMTO recently provided a response back and both letters are available for review.
Letter from the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO)
Consultation Report: Proposed Changes to By-Law No.7
Frequently Asked Questions
The following information is available for review:
- CMTO’s 2022 budget (pg. 70-76) approved by Council
- CMTO’s audited financial statements (pg. 4-26) for 2021
- Briefing note presented to Council with rationale for the proposed increase
- Presentation provided to explain the current proposed increase
- CMTO’s annual report explains how fees are spent (pages 20-21)
While office space is one portion of CMTO’s expenses, occupancy costs are lower than costs for complaints and discipline. In 2022, CMTO implemented a remote-first strategy. Now that the strategy is underway, staff are reviewing office space needs and how to reduce office space costs given our current lease agreement.
CMTO has legislative obligations around registration, quality assurance, investigations and hearings, which require staff resources. CMTO’s complaints volume is also high, and the number of sexual abuse matters adds complexity and cost to our processes. Currently, CMTO spends a significant amount of money on external investigations, which cost more than investigations completed by internal staff. CMTO plans to bolster staff in this area and is also working to reduce IT development costs and space costs.
Regulatory college fees vary for several reasons, including the number of registrants, and complaint volume/types. While CMTO is considered a mid-size regulator with approximately 15,000 registrants, CMTO receives a high number of sexual abuse complaints compared to other regulatory colleges in Ontario. Sexual abuse cases also often result in complex and costly investigations and hearings for CMTO.
CMTO conducts impartial investigations as part of its statutory mandate and is guided by case law. Investigations of matters – much like a court of law – can involve registrants who have – or have not – committed any wrongdoing. While we hope that you do not need to avail yourself of this process, fair and due process is available to all registrants through the College.
For registrants who have matters going to discipline, Council approved a daily tariff for discipline hearings in 2020. The tariff is a set monetary amount per day of a hearing. This may include the cost of the College’s lawyer, the cost of an independent lawyer for the Discipline Committee, hearing panel member per diems, and the cost of a court reporter who is required to record the evidence at a hearing. The purpose of the College requesting this type of reimbursement is so that the entire expense of investigating and prosecuting a case does not fall entirely on registrants funding CMTO’s operations through registration fees.
As a prudent business practice, non-profits like CMTO strive to maintain at least three to six months’ worth of operating expenses in reserves. The reserves are currently lower than the three-to-six-month target, and CMTO must be prepared for unanticipated events.
