Ob-gyns call attention to how women’s medical procedures pay physicians less than men’s equivalents

Practitioners are paid significantly less for the same or similar medical procedures performed on women compared to when performed on their male counterparts, according to a new study conducted on behalf of the Association des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Québec (AOGQ).The discrepancies documented by analysts at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton range from 33%-to-218%, even though, according to the AOGQ, there is no medical justification for them.But it’s not just a question of dollars and cents, says AOGQ vice-president Dr. Liliane Brassard.“I think Quebecers have the right to know that the value we place on care given to a woman is less than the value we place on care given to a man,” she said. “That’s the message we’re sending. It’s the basic principle of equity, of women’s healthcare. That’s our biggest message.”Some of the examples provided are striking. For example, a uterine brachytherapy is paid at $82.70, compared with $262.60 for a prostate brachytherapy, a difference of 218%. The difference between cervical brachytherapy and prostate brachytherapy is 167%.An egg retrieval for in vitro fertilization costs $369.45, but a sperm retrieval for the same purpose costs $949.95, a difference of 157%.“It’s a similar procedure, for the same treatment,” said Dr. Brassard. “There’s no medical explanation. You can’t say it’s more complex. There’s no medical distinction.”An endovaginal pelvic ultrasound costs $27.25, compared with $66.25 for a transrectal ultrasound, a difference of 143%.The smallest difference measured was 33%, for the opening and drainage of a vulvar or glandular abscess, compared to the same procedure for an intra-scrotal abscess.“What I find most worrying is the message we’re sending out about women’s health,” said Dr. Brassard. “But of course, you have to wonder if this will increase the shortage of obstetrician-gynecologists.”Medical students will base their choice of specialty on a number of factors, she pointed out. Whether or not this will influence their choice of specialty is unknown, but the figures used in this study are in the public domain and accessible to all.This reality adds to other issues that obstetrician-gynecologists face, said Dr. Brassard, which might steer students away from the specialty. “We work the most unfavourable hours. We get woken up for deliveries, we’re in the hospital at night, we work hard, we get up early in the morning,” she said. “But it’s certain that if this unfairness persists, it can make us less attractive as a specialty to choose.”The AOGQ is unveiling these figures at a time when the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec is continuing the equity exercise it began in 2022 to review the relative value of medical procedures. Results are expected in 2025.

Ob-gyns call attention to how women’s medical procedures pay physicians less than men’s equivalents

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