Quebec reluctant about private health insurance

Quebec will not open the door to private health insurance any more than is necessary, said Health Minister Philippe Couillard Tuesday.

Couillard made the comment during the first day of provincial hearings on Bill 33, which lays the groundworkfor private insurance and acceptable wait times for certain medical procedures such as hip and cataract operations.

At the morning hearings, Couillard reiterated his commitment to the public health-care system by insistingit can meet Quebecers' needs.

"We're not doing anything that is going to encourage physicians to disengage from the public health-care system, or to encourage people in any way to purchase private insurance," he told reporters at the hearings. "I don't think it's a solution for the health-care system."

The law was introduced by the Quebec Liberal government in June 2006, in response to the Supreme Court decision in the Chaouilli case, which challenged the ban on private medical insurance.

Dr. Jacques Chaouilli, a Quebec physician who wanted the province to permit private medical coverage, was behind the court case.

In its decision,the court ruledthe ban on private insurance is unconstitutional because it contradicts the province's charter of rights.

The Bill 33 hearingswill allow about 15 groups and organizations to present their demands, before the government outlines specific guidelinesfor private medical insurance and wait times.

Some don't like it

Bill 33 has been openly criticized by the insurance industry because of the limits it imposes on insurable medical procedures.

Under the current legislation, it will be hard for companies to offer any kind of coverage, said Yves Millette, a spokesman for the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

"We don't think the scope of private insurance has been well defined, or has been defined in a way that we can issue a private product," he said.

If the bill is enacted as it stands,there won't be much of a market for private insurance because premiums will be too high, warned Millette.

The Bill 33 hearings continue Wednesday.