Nova Scotia obstetricians are crying foul after the government stopped reimbursing doctors for their malpractice insurance fees on April 1.
The government is now offering an interim funding deal, but some doctors say trust has been broken.
Dr. Robyn MacQuarrie says the government is jeopardizing obstetric care in rural parts of the province.
“We have tons of documentation of what happens when you take birth out of communities, it decimates communities,” says MacQuarrie.
She says that's exactly what's happening, now that the government has stopped reimbursing doctors for malpractice insurance fees, just as those fees nearly doubled.
Since the 1990s, the government has subsidized malpractice insurance through the Physician Master Agreement. That expired on March 31 and on April 1 doctors were told the cost-sharing agreement was no longer in place.
“They said, ‘no listen, while we are negotiating with Doctors Nova Scotia we're not going to pay any of your fees. We don't think it's fair, so you have to pay them out of your pocket,’” says Chris d'Entremont, Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative health critic.
MacQuarrie says that's a breach of contract.
On Monday, the government offered an interim plan that will cover some of the fees for the next six months.
“I think it goes just about the entire way to where they were prior to the substantial raise in fees,” says Health Minister Leo Glavine.
“My response to that is, quite simply, you cannot put a Band-Aid on a hemorrhage,” says MacQuarrie.
She says six obstetricians have resigned or retired early as a direct result. Two of those doctors are from Sydney, two are from Antigonish, one is from Truro and another is from Yarmouth.
Obstetricians pay higher insurance fees than other specialties, because payouts are much higher. MacQuarrie says women from Cape Breton could end up driving to New Glasgow to see an obstetrician.
“When you have numbers like two, three, and four, the loss of one or two of those people is significant. It results in closures,” says MacQuarrie.
Closures she hopes will not have to happen.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Sarah Ritchie
