There are significant differences between the legislation in Quebec and the United States. The American law is imposed not on individual physicians, as is the case in Quebec, but on the hospitals where they work. As well, the US$50 000 fine applies in a much narrower context: when physicians fail to respond to a specific emergency situation when they have on-call duties. Under the US law, physicians are not obliged by government to participate in a call schedule — the hospital imposes this obligation. In Quebec, the obligation and the accompanying penalties are applied by the province.