Quebec contemplating charging for “no-shows” at medical appointments
Posted March 7, 2025 11:07 am.
Quebec is considering charging patients who do not show up for their appointments with a family doctor.
Radio-Canada is reporting that Quebec’s Health Minister Christian Dubé has confirmed the idea is being studied.
On the South Shore of Montreal, a clinic already charges $30 for these “no-shows,” with mixed results.
According to the report, with nearly 650,000 appointments and more than 10,000 surgeries per year to contend with, people who don’t show up for their appointment or surgery are of concern to the government.
This phenomenon of “no-shows” has been denounced for years by Quebec’s general practitioners. However, they believe that building awareness is better than charging patients.
Doctors estimate that about 10 percent of patients do not show up, sometimes even for emergency appointments made a few hours before.
