Quebec health minister to abolish extra health fees by 2017

CTV Montreal: MDs fear fee ban Some medical specialists say Quebec’s plan to ban user fees could affect services

There will be no more overbilling in Quebec health care.

Quebec Health Minister Gaetan Barrette announced Wednesday the government is abolishing all additional fees for health care covered by the province’s health insurance, RAMQ.

As long as Quebecers present their health insurance cards, no fees will be charged, said Barrette.

“Two examples,” said Barrette. “Lately we've seen patients who had to pay $200 for eye drops in order to have an exam or a treatment. That will go away. It's going to be zero. Patients had to pay $150 to open a file. That's totally illegal as we speak. It will be ‘more illegal,’ if you wish. So all accessory fees, overbilling will be prohibited for covered services.”

The only exception, said Barrette, with be in the transportation of biological samples (such as blood or urine)from a private clinic or a specialized medical centre to a lab, where a maximum of $15 will be billed to the patient for a blood sample, and for any other biological sample, that amount may not exceed $ 5.

This does not include cosmetic treatments, for which fees may be charged, the minister also said.

"We're not talking about what is not covered. If you have a laser eye surgery for removing your glasses, that is not covered. This is not covered by RAMQ, so that's another issue,” said Barrette.

Medical specialists said on Thursday that they would be willing to absorb the cost of small items, but warned that expensive treatments could end up being delayed since doctors would expect some sort of compensation for using high-end equipment.

"We're not going to limit services for two bucks, don't worry about that. We're talking about equipment that is very expensive," said Diane Francoeur of the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists.

She said doctors that currently own their own colonoscopy machines, or provide epidurals for pain relief in a clinic, as opposed to a hospital, should not have to pay out of pocket.

"When it's time to change the whole thing and it costs a million, do you think that [these doctors] are going to buy equipment that costs $1,000,000 if they don't have any funding for it?"

Incidental fees for matters including anesthetics, nitrogen, eye drops, jellies and drugs for colonoscopies, among others, are charged in many places and prices can vary greatly.

A draft regulation on incidental expenses was approved Wednesday by the Council of Ministers.

Barrette said this project clearly illustrates the government's commitment to ensure the health system is accessible to the entire population, adding that this government is the first to commit to resolve the matter of incidental costs with the adoption of Law 20 and with the forthcoming ban.

PQ health critic Diane Lamarre said Barrette’s announcement is a victory for the Parti Quebecois, because they have been fighting against accessory fees for years, calling them an injustice and obstacle to accessing essential services.

The ban will come into effect January 2017.

With files from The Canadian Press