Quebec to introduce bill ending required medical notes for reimbursements from insurers

The Quebec government and Health Minister Christian Dubé have announced that they will table a bill later this year that would prohibit insurance companies from requiring a medical note in order to obtain a reimbursement.

This bill aims to reduce the administrative burden on family doctors. According to government estimates, this measure would free up 500,000 medical appointments a year.

Normandin Beaudry’s experts welcome this initiative to improve access to a family doctor for all Quebecers. However, these modifications will have an impact on the administration of group insurance plans:

1. 1. Even if required by the plan, employees would no longer need a prescription to claim a reimbursement for:
   1. Health care professionals like a physiotherapist or massage therapist
   2. Medical or orthopedic equipment such as crutches or orthoses
2. Insurers would no longer be able to impose follow-up consultations to disability insurance recipients. Rather, the frequency of follow-ups will be determined by the family physician, based on their clinical judgment.

The opposition parties in the National Assembly, as well as the president of Quebec Affairs of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA), are open to the future bill, with Duhaime insisting on the need for these changes to be made without incurring additional costs to maintain control over group insurance plan costs.

Without details on the bill, it’s hard to say what the financial impact will be. Despite the recent trend of eliminating medical referral requirements to facilitate access to certain paramedical services, the announcement raises many questions. For example, who will be responsible for confirming that the medical equipment requested is suitable? Will this responsibility fall on other healthcare providers, like a pharmacist? How can we ensure that medical equipment is allocated to the right person?

It will also be interesting to see if other provinces follow suit, as the administrative burden for physicians is an issue across Canada. Nova Scotia took a step in this direction last July, preventing employers from requesting sick notes for certain absences.

Our experts are closely monitoring developments in connection with this bill and what administrative and financial impact it may have on group insurance plans. Further communication materials will be issued once the financial impact is known.

If you have any questions, contact your Normandin Beaudry consultant or email us.