Quebec dentists quit welfare plan over fee dispute
28.03.2008 09:00
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
About 2,400 Quebec dentists have opted out of a program that provides free dental care to welfare recipients and children under 10, as a contract dispute with the provincial government continues. Health Minister Philippe Couillard responded Thursday by taking measures to guarantee that subsidized services will continue to be available. Over the next eight days, he said, the patients will have to pay up front, but the government will reimburse them up to the amount the government now pays the dentists. If the dentists charge more than that amount, it will have to come out of the pockets of the patients, he said. The government and the dentists hope negotiations will produce a contract before the eight days are up. The president of the dental association, Serge Langlois, said Thursday serious negotiations with the province will take place over the next few days. "I had a feeling that Monsieur Couillard wants to have a [negotiated deal]," Langlois said.
Both sides are getting close to negotiating a settlement, he said. The dentists negotiating with the government represent 70 per cent of dentists in the province. The other 30 per cent do not particpate in the subsidized plan. If there is still no settlement after eight days, Couillard said, the province will issue a decree to force dentists to charge patients the fee established by the government, and again the patients will be reimbursed by the province. Couillard said he hopes the dispute doesn't last that long. "With the energy that we're going to put on the negotiating table, and they are going to put too, Mr. Langlois said it to me this morning, a few hours ago, he also believes we will reach a settlement," Couillard said.
The dentists have rejected the government's latest offer to raise their fee to $25 an hour from $23 for treating children under the age of 10 and people on social assistance. Langlois said the current fee rate doesn't cover the costs of running a clinic. He said the dentists want to be paid $60 an hour. "When we treat … children or [people on welfare], we have the same [costs]," he said. Dentist Stephane Schwartz said children from low-income families may suffer if parents are forced to foot the entire bill themselves. "We had a child that died not a long time ago," Schwartz said. "[He was] 12 years old with a dental abscess. He was on welfare. He was not seen." Couillard said Thursday that he feels opting out of the program is not an acceptable pressure tactic. "I can only state my personal conviction here. I don't find [it] acceptable for a professional, a well-paid professional, for a dispute over a few dollars, to impose such an effect on low-income people and children. I can only say that because I believe this very deeply. I am 50 years old, [and] I will not change my mind on this." Post a commentPeople have commented on this storyRecommend this storyPeople have recommended this storyStory Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKStory comments (0)Sort:Most recent | First to lastPost your commentNote: The CBC does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comments, you acknowledge that CBC has the right to reproduce, broadcast and publicize those comments or any part thereof in any manner whatsoever. Please note that comments are pre-moderated/reviewed and published according to our submission guidelines. You must be logged in to leave a comment. Log in | Sign upComment:Characters allowed: 2500PostSubmission policyRelatedInternal LinksQuebec dentists want out of medicareIn the BlogsMost Blogged about CBC.ca Articles ISPs limit access to CBC download, users saySpacewalks completed, astronauts prepare for trip homeBell crimps P2P file-sharing during peak hoursFull list of articles » Search TechnoratiNote: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - link will open in new window #technorati_holder { visibility:visible !important; }
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