Going to the Doctor in Quebec? Bring your wallet!

Silly me.  I thought that that Canada Health Act mandated that certain medical services were available to us in the entire country, simply by presenting my provincial health care card. 

I was on summer vacation at my camp in Northern Quebec.  As it happens, my son ended up needing to go to the hospital.  (He’s OK.)  I get there and present his Health Card.  “No thanks”, says the doctor.  “If you want treatment, you have to pay cash.” 

Pardon?

I’m pretty bilingual and sure felt like cussing him out in French right about then.

What is supposed to happen is that you fill out a few forms and the doctor then submits the form to OHIP for payment.

He explained, as did an administrative officer at the hospital, that Ontario is so bad with paying out-of-province claims that they won’t accept the forms anymore.  Instead, they complete their part of the form and give it to you as a receipt so you can submit it.  Apparently, when the doctors submit it, Ontario takes over six months to pay, makes only partial payments or refuses to pay at all.  They claimed to have no problems with other provinces. 

So, off I go to the bank machine and get some cash.  I had to give $40 to the doctor, which he slipped into his pocket and I got a receipt. 

Good bloody thing the kid did not need some serious care!!!  What if surgery was required?  Would I have to come up with a few thousand in cash? 

I was annoyed and was contemplating chewing out my MPP.

I went to the Ontario Ministry of Health web site.  There is a part that says this: 

“Most of your Ontario health benefits are covered across Canada.  The province or territory you are visiting will usually bill the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care directly for hospital and physician services. In Quebec, you may have to pay for physician services and then submit your receipt to your local ministry office for payment.”

Now I get more suspicious.  Ontario seems to be blaming the problem on Quebec, and Quebec was pretty adamant about blaming Ontario.

So, I went to the websites for other provinces.  As it turns out, Quebec has refused to participate in reciprocal billing arrangements for physician services with other provinces.  BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan (I didn’t look beyond that) all explain that you will have to pay cash in Quebec. 

Now I’m no longer annoyed with Ontario.  I am annoyed at the doctor and the hospital official who lied to me.  I can’t wait for the next time that I am there and they lie.  I will call them on it.

Perhaps the refusal to participate in the reciprocal billing agreements is a separatist strategy.  It sure gets the rest of the country annoyed with Quebec.  Next time they try to separate, will I be more willing to say “good riddance”?

So, while you still don’t need a passport to go to Frogland, you do need a wad of cash in the event that you need a doctor.