No more doctor's note: Quebec bill would scrap paperwork for massages, medical equipment

Quebec plans to put an end to the requirement to obtain a medical note in order to be reimbursed by an insurance company.

On Wednesday, Labour Minister Jean Boulet announced that he will table a bill to cut red tape, so that family doctors can free up an additional 500,000 medical appointments for patients each year.

In a news scrum with Health Minister Christian Dubé, Boulet said that family doctors spend a quarter of their time filling out forms for insurance companies.

"Doctors in Quebec are faced with an administrative burden that is significant," he said. "Twenty-five percent of their time is spent on paperwork ... This prevents them from carrying out medical consultations."

Among other things, the bill would prohibit insurers from requiring a client to consult a doctor in order to be reimbursed for equipment, such as a cane or a compression boot, or the services of a physiotherapist or massage therapist, for example.

Nor, in his opinion, should a request for CHSLD accommodation require a visit to the doctor.

"Someone who's experiencing burnout doesn't need ... the insurer to demand a visit at every turn. Someone with a fracture ... they don't need to go and see the doctor every three weeks", said the minister. 

• Listen on CJAD 800 Radio: Quebec bill aims to free up doctors from unnecessary paperwork. Will it work?

However, he cannot guarantee that premiums will not rise with the likely increase in the number of services reimbursed.

"We won't be able to give any guarantees. Is it possible that there will be an impact? I'm not in a position to assess that," he admitted.

A welcome measure

Nonetheless, all opposition parties welcomed the measure on Wednesday.

"It's an excellent initiative, frankly," said Québec solidaire (QS) co-spokesperson Christine Labrie at a news briefing. "It's a major irritant for patients to have to pick up these notes every time, especially for people who don't have a family doctor. So, we really welcome this initiative."

"I think it's a good thing for doctors to make their work easier. It's going to help productivity," added Liberal MNA Frédéric Beauchemin.

Sceptical, Parti Québécois (PQ) MNA Pascal Bérubé welcomed the government's "intentions" but said he was waiting for "results."

"We'll be watching closely," he said. "We'll be there for the results, if it works."

On social media, the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) also doubted that the measure could free up half a million medical appointments annually.

"This figure seems exaggerated to us at first glance, and we're waiting for the minister to explain his methodology," said the union.

The FMOQ is also calling on the government to go "one step further" by prohibiting insurance companies from requiring medical notes for absences of less than five days.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 8, 2024.