Why a new billing policy is blocking some Quebecers from getting health care in Ontario – CBC
‘It’s 3 steps backwards,’ says resident whose surgery was cancelled
Aug 07, 2025
Until this month, Nicole Rochon never thought about moving away from Témiscaming, Que.
She has a house, lives by the lake and chose the community of a few thousand people as her retirement spot.
Despite her love for the town nestled along the Ottawa River and bordering Ontario, a new barrier to accessing health care might tip the scale for Rochon and her husband.
As of Aug. 1, the local health authority for the region, the Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CISSS-AT) is no longer handling billing or processing claims for services provided by Ontario doctors.
This means the health authority no longer acts as an intermediary between Quebec’s public health insurance board, known as RAMQ, and doctors.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/billing-policy-quebec-health-care-ontario-1.7602506
