N.S. offers retirement fund top-ups for doctors, hoping theyll stick around – Halifax [Video]

The Nova Scotia government is offering to pay up to $15,000 a year into a new retirement benefits program for doctors in hopes the public money will keep more physicians in the province.

Premier Tim Houston announced the new program Wednesday, saying the annual contributions will be available to Nova Scotia’s roughly 3,000 doctors at an estimated cost to the province of up to $22 million for the 2024 tax year, with that number expected to grow as more physicians sign on.

The annual retirement benefit top-ups were cited by Houston as evidence his party is fulfilling an election platform promise to create a “retirement fund” for doctors.

He said the new program is designed to “recognize the high cost of establishing a practice coming right out of (medical) school,” and to retain doctors as they settle into careers.

“We’re not just competing with other provinces. We’re competing with the …