In a move that is rapidly backfiring, the Quebec government's Bill 2 is creating a deeper crisis within the province's already strained healthcare system. Rushed through the National Assembly in October 2025, the legislation is now revealing a cascade of negative consequences that threaten patient access for years to come.
A Law That Shattered Trust
The law unilaterally imposed a new compensation model on the province's nearly 25,000 doctors, a model that was originally part of Bill 106 and was supposed to be refined through negotiations. Instead, the government bypassed talks, opting for a forceful approach that its own experts had warned was unworkable. This action has shattered trust with the medical community.
Further poisoning the atmosphere are provisions for potential fines against doctors who speak out and plans for extensive surveillance of physician performance. Even though the government now promises not to use these measures, the damage to relations is already done.
The Real-World Consequences: Closures and Exodus
The ill-conceived financial changes in Bill 2 have put the very viability of many medical practices at risk. The new payment structure doesn't just mean lower take-home pay for physicians; it leaves them with less money to reinvest in office overhead, threatening their ability to keep clinics open.
We are already seeing the results:
- Hundreds of fed-up doctors are considering leaving Quebec for other provinces, which would worsen the existing physician shortage.
- Numerous clinics, including those specializing in pediatrics and the treatment of sexually transmitted infections, have decided to close or are at risk.
- Funding changes affecting telemedicine, payments based on patient vulnerability, and unattainable performance targets are creating blind spots that the law failed to anticipate.
A System on the Brink
The government's goal of ensuring all Quebecers have access to care is laudable, especially when 1.5 million people currently lack a family doctor. However, the evidence overwhelmingly suggests Bill 2 will achieve the opposite.
Soon, Quebecers may struggle not only to find a family doctor but also to find any clinic to visit. This affects both those with a doctor and the orphan patients the government plans to assign. With emergency rooms overloaded and CLSCs at capacity, the closure of private clinics will cripple access for everyone.
If Bill 2 is not postponed, substantially altered, or—as a bare minimum—revoked entirely, Quebec's healthcare system faces grave harm. The recovery from this self-inflicted wound could take decades, if not generations.
