Bill 96 and Healthcare in English: What Actually Changed
The general rule is French-only public services — but health, public safety, and "natural justice" are explicit exceptions, on top of a separate health-specific right that predates Bill 96. Here's the structure, and the genuine debate around it.
The Quebec government maintains that nothing has changed for healthcare access in English. Several physician groups and researchers disagree about how the rules play out in practice outside a handful of specifically bilingual-designated institutions. Both positions are represented below — this guide explains the legal structure, not who's right.
The general rule, and its three explicit exceptions
Since 2022, Bill 96 (now part of the Charter of the French Language) requires Quebec's government bodies, cities, and public agencies to communicate with the public in French by default. The law carves out three explicit exceptions where another language, including English, remains permitted: health, public safety, and natural justice. A senior civil servant involved in drafting the rules has been quoted describing this as covering "anyone — an eligible rights-holder, an immigrant... has a right to services in English, even after six months" specifically within these three categories.
Healthcare specifically: a right that predates Bill 96
Separately from Bill 96's own exceptions, Quebec's Act respecting health services and social services has long guaranteed the right of any English-speaking person to receive care in English — a right that Bill 96 did not repeal. In practice, this is most consistently and easily exercised at institutions historically designated to serve the English-speaking community, such as the McGill University Health Centre and the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal. A 2024 ministerial directive to the health network reiterated that other language than French may be used in writing and orally whenever health, understanding of care being provided, or free and informed consent require it — provided a first attempt in French has been made and it's established the person doesn't understand it.
Where the debate actually is
The disagreement isn't really about the text of the law — it's about implementation outside the designated bilingual institutions. Coalitions representing hundreds of physicians, along with researchers at the SHERPA university institute, have argued that patients who've been in Quebec more than six months and aren't part of the historic anglophone community may face real friction accessing care in English at facilities without a bilingual designation, even though the law's "health" exception technically covers urgent and safety-relevant communication. The government's position is that the exceptions are intended to be interpreted broadly in favour of the individual, not restrictively. Both readings of the same clause are represented among people who work in the system daily — which is itself informative about how much hinges on interpretation and local practice, not just the statutory text.
English CEGEPs and universities: a related but separate set of rules
Language rules for education work differently than the public-services rules above — see our dedicated guide to English CEGEPs and universities under Bill 96 for the exit-exam and enrollment-priority requirements specific to school.
Practical takeaway
If you need care and aren't sure how a specific facility will handle a language request: institutions with a historic bilingual designation (MUHC, Jewish General, and others recognized on the Ministry's access program list) are the most predictable option. Elsewhere, the health/safety/consent exception applies, but expect a French-first approach before staff switch languages, particularly for non-urgent interactions.