Quebec’s family physicians have overwhelmingly approved an agreement to encourage them to take on an additional 500,000 patients by June. The vote, held on Friday, marked the end of extensive negotiations between the doctors and the Coalition Avenir Québec government. The government had initially proposed Bill 2, which included controversial provisions, such as linking part of doctors’ compensation to performance metrics.
Facing strong opposition from doctors, many of whom threatened to shut down practices, Premier François Legault intervened earlier this month to negotiate with the doctors’ union. The resulting tentative agreement significantly scaled back the key measures in Bill 2. The revised deal scrapped the plan to categorize patients based on vulnerability levels and removed clauses penalizing doctors for non-compliance with reforms.
Under the new agreement, family doctor groups, or GMFs, will not be obligated to absorb the province’s estimated 1.2 million unassigned patients by 2027. Instead, doctors will voluntarily accept 500,000 new patients by June and receive additional compensation if this target is met. Not meeting these goals will not result in any penalties.
France-Élaine Duranceau, Quebec’s treasury board president, described the agreement as a “win-win” situation, emphasizing that an additional 500,000 Quebecers will benefit from GP care. The Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ), the union representing family doctors, praised the deal as a commitment to enhancing primary care services, including changes to payment structures, increased funding for telemedicine, and support for clinics reliant on the GMF program.
Christian Dubé, the former health minister of Quebec, resigned, citing the government’s retreat from key elements of Bill 2. He expressed disappointment, characterizing the current agreement as maintaining the status quo.