On Friday morning, the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists (FMSQ) responded to criticisms from the Quebec Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AOGQ) regarding pay disparities in female-dominated specialties, as well as the representation of these associations in the review of medical procedure fees.
The day before, the AOGQ filed a lawsuit against the FMSQ in Superior Court. It criticizes the FMSQ for failing to address pay disparities between specialties where a majority of practitioners are women and those dominated by men. Obstetrics and gynecology is the medical specialty with the highest proportion of women.
Furthermore, the new Relative Value Scale (RVS)—a weighting system that determines the value of a medical procedure based on several criteria, such as complexity and time—was adopted last June. Obstetricians and gynecologists lament that the interests of predominantly female associations were not adequately represented in the RVA process.
In a press release, the FMSQ stated that it will respond to the legal challenge in court “seriously and directly.” However, it wished to clarify certain facts.
The federation states that for the past six years it has been undertaking “a demanding project” aimed at correcting pay disparities among medical specialties to achieve greater equity between male and female physicians. Independent external firms specializing in pay equity have been involved in this process.
In addition, there was a committee tasked with evaluating groupings of medical procedures. This committee consisted of four male physicians and four female physicians, including a pediatrician and an obstetrician-gynecologist—the two specialties at the center of the legal challenges. It should be noted that in 2024, the Quebec Pediatricians’ Association had also filed an injunction in Superior Court against the FMSQ over issues of inequity.
The FMSQ argues that the two medical specialties with the highest proportion of women were represented, not excluded.
The results of the work on equity and financial distribution were submitted to the Assembly of Delegates. This is the FMSQ’s decision-making body, comprising the 36 member associations. The conclusions of the working group aimed at correcting pay gaps were adopted democratically, “by a large majority,” according to the FMSQ, on June 23, “with the support of several associations with a predominantly female membership.”
The FMSQ believes that the AOGQ is dissatisfied with the election results, as evidenced by its request to the courts to challenge the outcome of the vote. The federation deplores the fact that this calls into question the legitimacy of the democratic decisions made by the FMSQ, which represents 36 associations and 11,000 medical specialists.
“This legal action is not directed solely at the FMSQ: it calls into question a decision that 36 associations made collectively and democratically after several years of work conducted with independent pay equity experts. We believe in this process, and we will defend it,” said Dr. Vincent Oliva, president of the FMSQ, in a press release.
In the legal document it filed with the Superior Court on Thursday, the AOGQ cites several examples of medical procedures that are reimbursed at a lower rate when the patient is a woman, compared to a comparable procedure performed on a male patient. According to the association, this is part of a historical context in which women’s specific health needs are undervalued.
“Comparing the fees for just two procedures out of more than 12,000 in isolation, as we’ve seen in the public debate, does not do justice to reality: the fees reflect the history of each association’s requests—including those of obstetricians and gynecologists—their priorities, and the agreements negotiated with the government,” the FMSQ responds in its press release.
Dr. Corinne Leclercq, vice president of the FMSQ and an obstetrician-gynecologist, argues that the FMSQ’s role is primarily focused on access to care and the best interests of patients. “It was with this objective in mind that the study on the value of medical procedures was conducted, seriously and rigorously. Corporate interests, even legitimate ones, must sometimes give way to the common good—and that is exactly what we chose to do,” she said in a written statement.
—The Canadian Press’s health coverage is supported by a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. The Canadian Press is solely responsible for this journalistic content.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
