YEAR ONE

Reflections on Medicus’ first year

The Medicus Pension Plan™ is the first and only pension plan of its kind designed exclusively for physicians.

How our story began

For years, many physicians across Canada identified a need — and a desire — for a national pension plan, but it didn’t seem possible.

Most physicians are not “employees” of the province or a healthcare establishment, so they were not eligible to join traditional pension plans.

Together, MD Financial Management Inc. and Scotiabank felt strongly about building a pension plan  worthy of physicians, and on May 30, 2023, the Medicus Pension Plan was officially launched.

The Medicus story

2018
MD Financial Management Inc., with its 50 years of dedicated experience working with physicians, joins the Scotiabank family and, together, they begin to lay the groundwork to bring Medicus to physicians in Canada
2021
Scotiabank appoints the first members of the Leadership Team to create the pension plan design and governance framework
2022
Medicus is established with a small group of physicians from British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and Ontario and registered with the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and the Canada Revenue Agency
2023
The plan officially opens on May 30 to physicians in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon
2024
Medicus welcomes physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador

Medicus has its first retiree, who will receive a pension every month for the rest of their life

Medicus celebrates its first anniversary on May 30
What’s next?
We remain steadfast in our commitment to bring the Medicus Pension Plan to all eligible physicians across the country, providing peace of mind to members and their families because it’s the right thing to do

We’re delighted to be operating in six provinces and all three territories.

We continue to work diligently with various stakeholders in the remaining provinces to remove legislative barriers so eligible physicians can join Medicus from coast to coast.

Legend: Blue: Plan is open - Brown: Not Yet available
Map of Canada

Nunavut 
Plan is open

Northwest Territories
Plan is open

Yukon
Plan is open

British Columbia
Plan is open

Alberta
Plan is open

Ontario
Plan is open

Newfoundland and Labrador
Plan is open

Nova Scotia
Plan is open

Prince Edward Island
Plan is open

Our members practise in many different areas, including:

Looking to enrol?

Set up a one-on-one discovery meeting to chat with one of our specialists and have all of your questions answered.

Why pension matters

Physicians choose to save for retirement using a variety of strategies. It can be beneficial to complement these strategies with a predictable stream of income in retirement — and a pension can do just that.

Some of the physicians who joined Medicus last year will receive a pension of more than $100,000 per year in retirement!

Our latest actuarial valuation on

January 1, 2024, showed the plan was

158% funded

on a going-concern basis

115% funded

on a solvency basis

These are both very strong measures.

Investment performance is a fundamental focus for the Administrative Board and sustainable investing is an important consideration as we manage the plan through a long-term lens.

What’s our investment edge?

When contributions are pooled together, Medicus benefits from that scale with access to more diverse investment opportunities, including specialized options that aren’t typically available to individual investors.

The Administrative Board has engaged 1832 Asset Management L.P. to invest the plan’s assets. They’re a subsidiary of Scotiabank and one of Canada’s largest asset managers.

Target asset mix:
70% equity
30% fixed income

Physicians ask us…

Is Medicus tax-effective?

Yes. Incorporating Medicus into your retirement planning strategy is a great diversification option, especially when thinking about the implications of capital gains in professional corporations. A physician’s professional corporation, as the participating employer, is generally permitted to deduct its contributions to the plan for income tax purposes.

Is my pension protected against inflation?

Yes. Medicus has been designed with the ability to provide cost of living increases, which can help protect your purchasing power during retirement.

Looking to enrol?

Set up a one-on-one discovery meeting to chat with one of our specialists and have all of your questions answered.