Quebec is preparing to put an end to a major irritant: the obligation to obtain a doctor’s note to be reimbursed by an insurer. But at the same time, the Minister of Labor says he does not know whether insurance premiums will increase as a result.
The Legault government will table a bill by the fall to prohibit insurers from requiring a prescription in order to be reimbursed for a covered service.
For example, several companies require policyholders to consult a doctor before obtaining the services of a physiotherapist or massage therapist.
In the same way, a person on sick leave sometimes has to return to the doctor to renew their compensation.
The same goes for getting reimbursed for medical equipment, such as crutches.
Quebec wants to put an end to these unnecessary and costly visits. “We want to reduce paperwork,” says the Minister of Labor, Jean Boulet.
The latter had already set a first milestone, last February, by announcing that doctors could now themselves determine the frequency of follow-ups for a worker compensated by the CNESST.
Unnecessary appointments
“We want to allow doctors to devote much more time to medical consultations. This is the heart of their mission,” underlines Minister Boulet.
Present at his side during the press scrum, the Minister of Health Christian Dubé estimated the number of appointments which will thus be freed at around 500,000.
“If we are able to work on the offer, that’s one thing. But if we are able to eliminate appointments that are not necessary, I think we must [le] do,” said Minister Dubé.
Increase in premiums?
However, even if insurers were consulted upstream, Quebec cannot guarantee that premiums will not increase with the probable increase in the number of reimbursed services.
“We cannot give guarantees. Is it possible that there will be an impact? That, I am not able to evaluate,” recognizes Jean Boulet.
“But the insurance companies were consulted, and then they [sic] are with us,” he added. “They are in our boat.”
