Quebec’s new proposal to prioritize sicker patients for family doctors is raising alarms in communities like Parc-Extension, where access to health care is already fragile.
The government’s plan would categorize patients based on health complexity and offer doctors annual payments tied to that category:
Green (healthy): $12
Yellow (minor chronic conditions): $74
Orange (moderate conditions): $124
Red (serious conditions): $223
The goal is to encourage doctors to accept more complex patients needing intensive care. However, many fear that healthier individuals — including young workers, new immigrants, and those without visible health issues — could be deprioritized, making access even harder.
Parc-Extension, a densely populated, low-income neighborhood with many seniors and newcomers, could be particularly affected. Many residents already struggle with chronic diseases, language barriers, and poor access to preventative care. Under the new system, those classified as “green” or “yellow” could face even longer waits for basic services, increasing health risks over time.
Seniors, often living alone and managing multiple illnesses, may benefit from the priority system — but challenges like language, paperwork, and missing medical histories could leave many overlooked.
Critics warn that tying financial incentives to health status risks creating a two-tiered system, where doctors prioritize higher-paying “red” and “orange” patients, while relatively healthy residents fall further behind. Without significant investment in multilingual clinics, community outreach, and preventative programs, Parc-Extension risks seeing its existing health inequalities deepen.
The Quebec Federation of General Practitioners is currently negotiating the final terms. Meanwhile, community advocates are calling for safeguards to ensure that no one — healthy or sick — is left without a doctor.
In a place like Parc-Extension, where preventative care often makes the difference between stability and crisis, how Quebec implements this policy could have life-changing consequences.
