Quebec dentists to opt out of Medicare

MONTREAL, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Dentists in Quebec are opting out of the province's Medicare system to protest the fees they can bill for, along with having no contract since 2003.

The Gazette newspaper in Montreal Friday said the Quebec Association of Dental Surgeons set Monday as the date for the announcement after talks between it and the provincial government broke down.

The pull-out will mean dental care will no longer be free for children under the age of 10 and those on welfare, the association of 3,600 dentists said.

The group sought a 35 percent increase for what they bill Quebec for dental work on welfare recipients and children, but the government's undisclosed offer was rejected, the Gazette said.

In a previous interview, dental association spokeswoman Joanne Brisson said Medicare reimburses dentists only 60 percent of what private insurance companies pay for procedures.

The average annual salary of a dentist in Quebec after expenses is $125,000, the newspaper said.