The Quebec Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AOGQ) filed a legal appeal Thursday afternoon in Superior Court against the Quebec Federation of Medical Specialists (FMSQ), The Canadian Press has learned exclusively.
The AOGQ denounces the persistent wage inequity between predominantly female and predominantly male medical specialties.
Notwithstanding that the remuneration of obstetricians and gynecologists has increased, as has that of other specialties, the AOGQ notes that specialties which include mostly female doctors continue to be paid less than specialties with a male majority.
Obstetrics and gynecology is the medical specialty with the highest proportion of women. According to data from the FMSQ, 115 men practice obstetrics and gynecology, compared to 390 women.
The new distribution of the relative value of procedures (RV) was adopted last June. The RV is a weighting system used by the FMSQ to determine the value of medical procedures. Based on available budgets, the FMSQ distributes funds taking into account certain criteria, including the complexity and time required for each medical procedure.
The AOGQ believes that there has not been adequate representation of the interests of predominantly female associations in the VRA file.
On the other hand, there are also gender-based disparities in some comparable medical procedures, depending on whether the patient is male or female. According to a Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton report commissioned by the AOGQ, uterine brachytherapy is reimbursed at $82.70, while prostate brachytherapy costs $262.60, a difference of 218 per cent. Another example is a breast biopsy, which is reimbursed at $16.20, while a skin biopsy is reimbursed at $32.60.
It is worth recalling that in December 2024, the Quebec Association of Pediatricians (APQ), the second medical specialty with the highest proportion of women, also filed an injunction in Superior Court against the FMSQ for essentially the same issues of inequity.
—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
