As of June 1, Quebecers will no longer be able to schedule an annual checkup.

The change comes as part of an agreement between the government and the Quebec Federation General Practitioners over streamlining fees.

This change will only affect healthy adults.

For decades, the common medical wisdom was for everyone to have an annual checkup, but over the years several provinces have phased out the physical due to the high costs and lack of evidence that they make a significant difference for healthy adults.

Adults may still schedule doctors’ appointment, but they will be referred to as a follow-up visit. Doctors will charge less for those appointments.

The decision was not a directive from the Quebec’s health ministry, but rather made by both the Quebec College of Physicians and the Quebec Federation General Practitioners, who agreed it made sense to free up space for those who need it.

“They will not pay the annual healthy visit for those patients, but they will instead pay an annual visit for vulnerable patients,” explained Health Minister Gaetan Barrette. “Those who will benefit from an annual visit because they are vulnerable, they have chronic disease and are elderly and so on. It's a very balanced and sound decision from them.”

Dr. Louis Godin, president of the Quebec Federation General Practitioners said people should not be concerned about their continuing health care -- people will still have access to their doctors when they need it.

“There is no change for the patient. It is only different rules for remuneration from the family physician. We’ve change the annual checkup for a healthy patient into a follow-up visit,” he explained.

Currently a physician charges $80 per annual checkup - also called a ‘major complete.’

Under the new guidelines, they will be paid $92.15 for a periodic checkup of a vulnerable patient and $41 per visit by a non-vulnerable patient.

Some doctors have criticized the new plan, saying this could have an impact on preventive health and discourage people from going to see a doctor.

Another change coming on June 1: doctors will no longer be able to bill for smoking cessation counselling. The federation said there was some evidence of excessive billing and it didn't appear the counselling was showing much in way of results.