Health Minister Gaetan Barrette has clarified a legal loophole related to medical accessory fees.
As of Thursday, doctors and clinics in Quebec will not be allowed to charge their patients certain accessory fees – except under a very specific circumstance.
Speaking in Quebec City Wednesday, Barrette explained that a patient can obtain a procedure at a private clinic and have it paid for entirely by their employer – but the issue is delicate.
Aside from that exception, doctors will not be allowed to charge patients for eyedrops, and Barrette said any patient who is charged should inform RAMQ.
The Health Minister said he has made arrangements now optometrists, dentists, and pharmacists so they can do work and be compensated.
For example, pharmacists will still do blood tests to determine dosage for blood thinners and the procedure will now be free for patients.
But there may be confusion in doctor's offices because patients will still have to pay, when asked, a reasonable fee for certain forms to be filled out, or for photocopies, or for samples to be transported.
Those tasks are not considered to be medical services and were never covered by medicare.
The Federation of Medical Specialists (FMSQ) says there will be confusion when it comes to patient care.
Meanwhile Barrette said the other issue that has arisen -- namely doctors no longer providing vaccinations in their offices -- could be addressed in the future.
"Because there's been pressure to implement this bill prohibiting users fees, parents will have to go either to a CLSC, mainly to a CLSC, to get their vaccine. In the near future we could readress this issue and allow vaccines to be bought in a doctor's office. It might be possible," said Barrette.
"Today it is not because people asked for the prohibition of users fees. When you write a law that says that, there are side effects."
The provincial government was forced to take action after being informed by the federal goverment in September that health transfer payments would be cut by the amount of money doctors in Quebec were charging for medical services.
Rockland MD incident
The possibility of paying fees for medical care is connected to an incident at Montreal clinic Rockland MD, described as a “misunderstanding” by Medical Director Dr. Fernand Teras.
Teras said that when a patient was told by a receptionist that she couldn't receive a certain procedure there because the clinic is forbidden by law from charging her for it, the receptionist tried to explain that the only way that patient could obtain the service there was if she had an employer pay for the medical service for her.
It would require an entirely private payment from the company she works for to the clinic.
Teras said what seemed to have been communicated to the patient -- in error -- was that the patient could get any company to pay for the procedure.
He said his clinic takes full responsibility for the mistake.
Barrette reaffirmed that point Wednesday.
“I don't know exactly the story, the reality of what's been reported, but if it's been like it's been suggested, someone not employed by a company, paid a company that pays a doctor or a clinic, that is 100 per cent illegal,” he said.
Teras said normally the clinic is contacted by the company, inquiring whether doctors can operate or help one of their employees in exchange for payment - the legal loophole.
Companies usually want that employee to receive faster care so they can return to work. With the accessory fee ban in place, he said patients are confused and concerned about public waiting lists.
He apologized on behalf of the clinic for the confusion, and said they will be posting information for patients on their website and retraining staff.
