The Minister of Health regretted the lack of “responsibility” of liberal doctors, after their rejection of the new consultation rates.
By JLB with AFP
© JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
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IThe arm wrestling continues between the government and general practitioners over the price of consultations. Also, after the rejection of the new consultation rates proposed by Health Insurance by the two main unions in the sector, the Minister of Health, François Braun, regretted the lack of “responsibility” of private doctors. “There will be no agreement by tomorrow evening, that’s almost certain, even if I still want to believe in common sense,” the minister told France Inter.
The proposal of the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam) provides that all medical consultations be revalued by 1.50 euro. For general practitioners, this unconditional revaluation would bring the basic consultation to 26.50 euros, against 25 euros since 2017. This represents a state effort of 1.5 billion euros, “more than what we don’t has ever done in a medical convention,” said François Braun.
“26.50 euros is not at all the value of the consultation. A doctor has more than 20% of his income which is made up of a package, paid by Health Insurance, which makes a basic consultation at 36.50 euros, ”he added.
“It’s not working more, it’s working differently”
The six unions of representative doctors have until Tuesday evening February 28 to say whether or not they accept the new fee schedule proposed for five years.
Sunday evening, the two main unions of liberal doctors, among general practitioners and specialists, announced their “unanimous” rejection of this proposal, in return for a commitment to increase their activity. Among the counterparties, the attending physician must follow at least 1,200 patients, or employ a medical assistant, or participate in night shifts, or work in a medical desert or even on Saturday mornings.
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“Doctors need to tick two boxes. And when we say on call, it’s one call per month, so let’s stop saying that it’s an intolerable pressure, “said the minister. “It’s not working more, it’s working differently. “We are missing out on an opportunity to improve the care of our fellow citizens, I find that the doctors’ unions are not responsible”, judged François Braun, saying that he did not understand “such a closed position”.
With a rejection of the agreement, the new rates will be set by an “arbitrator” who will have “three months to propose a text that will prevail for at least two years,” said François Braun. “We are going to waste time,” he lamented.