Quebec promises to pay for private medical imaging

The Quebec government is poised tostart paying for radiology exams performed in free-standing, privatelyowned clinics beginning with ultrasound imaging later this spring.

Health Minister Rjean Hbert said his ministryis working out the details now, although he could not elaborate on how muchthe first steppaying for private ultrasounds would cost the cash-strapped government.

Asking patients to pay unacceptable: QMA

Hbert was responding Wednesday to a call by the Quebec Medical Association to pay for all diagnostic imagery, regardless of whether it is performed in hospital or in a private clinic.

"Going to the patient and saying, 'Do you think you could pay?' I mean, it's awful. It's against everything that I've been taught and everything I do," said QMA president Ruth Vander Stelt.

Under the previous Liberal government, privately owned and operated radiology clinics flourished, although Quebec's health insurance board, la Rgie de l'assurance maladie du Qubec (RAMQ,) only covers the cost of regular x-rays conducted in private clinics.

RAMQ does not cover magnetic resonance imagery, or MRIs, computer axial tomography (CT or CAT scans) or ultrasound imagery, unless those exams are conducted in hospital.

"I think this decision opened the door to the privatization of the health care system, and our objective is to close those doors in order to improve access to [everyone] in Quebec to free imagery techniques," said Hbert.

"Our objective is to improve the accessofpatients in Quebec toimagery, specialized x-rays and echography," he said, adding the first step will be to cover the cost of ultrasounds.

However, he was vague on the details of how quickly the government will be able to roll out its plan.

"We will be in a position to make an announcement [within the coming] months about this specific issue,"Hbert said.

Hospital waits long, stressful

Vander Stelt estimates thecost of covering private medical imaging at $100 million annually.

However, she said it would be money well spent.

The wait for a hospital radiology exam can be a long one, depending on the procedure and the urgency of the problem.

Gabriel Dornier, who has been experiencing facial pain, said he was told the wait to get an MRI in hospital would be about four months.

"I mean waiting four months for something that's probably major, and you don't know what it isit's a scary situation," Dornier said.

Ultimately, he went the private route, with some financialhelp from his parents.

Free exams won't reduce wait times, radiologists say

The president of the Quebec Association of Radiologists, however, is not convinced free scans will reduce wait times for specialized diagnostic imaging.

"You're just changing the person who is paying for the exam," said Frdric Desjardins."You do not produce any more exams."

Desjardins says a better use of public funds would beto hire and train more specialized medical technologists to help radiologists.

He says that would allowradiologists to perform up to 40 per cent more scans every year, whichwould take a bigger bite out of wait times.