Quebec's Health Minister, Sonia Bélanger, has introduced a new bill to reshape doctors' pay structures, following the potential fallout from Bill 2, which threatened clinic closures and GPs' migration to other provinces. The CAQ government's Bill 19, set to take effect on February 28, 2026, aims to formalize a tentative agreement with family physicians, addressing concerns over access to medical services and patient care. This agreement, reached with the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ), outlines a compensation structure that splits physicians' pay 50/30/20, with a 14.5% increase by 2028. The bill also removes the obligation for family doctor groups to take on orphaned patients by January 2027, focusing instead on a voluntary performance target of 500,000 patients by June 30, including 180,000 vulnerable patients, with incentives worth $76 million. Negotiations with medical specialists, the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ), are ongoing, with the government open to further bills if needed. Critics, like Guillaume Cliche-Rivard from Québec Solidaire, question the bill's ability to prevent doctors from leaving the public sector, while Dr. Benoît Heppell sees it as a sign of cooperation between the government and the FMOQ, aiming to improve patient care and physician retention.
