Optometrists will fight in court to withdraw from the RAMQ

QMI agency

On Wednesday 21 February 2018 15:52

UPDATE
On Wednesday 21 February 2018 15:55

Look at this article

The Association des optométristes du Québec (AOQ) will be contesting in court the ministerial decree, adopted by the government Couillard on Friday, which makes it difficult to withdraw from the public insurance system.

• READ ALSO: optometrists withdraw from the RAMQ

Two weeks ago, the AOQ had announced that 90 % of optometrists of Quebec would withdraw from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), effective 10 march. This action aimed to denounce the failure of negotiations with the ministry of Health, regarding the renewal of the agreement on pricing of examinations reimbursed by the RAMQ.

“Why the government is working there as much on the optometrists?”, asked Steven Carrier, optometrist and president of AOQ.

“After dragging her feet for 2015, the government pulls a rabbit out of his hat and forfeits the right of optometrists to cease to participate in the plan to the public,” he added.

According to the Association, there is nothing which allows the minister of Health, Gaétan Barrette, to suspend the right of optometrists to become professionals, not participants.

For its part, the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées deplored the attitude of the two parties, asking them to “find a compromise before it is too late”.