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Dr Yvon Le Flohic, general practitioner
The National Health Insurance Fund proposed that all medical consultations be revalued by 1.50 euros for 5 years, in return for additional efforts on the part of general practitioners. A measure far from the needs mentioned by the unions of doctors.
Without great suspense, there will probably be no agreement found between the National Health Insurance Fund and the liberal doctors, this Tuesday, February 28. The two main unions among general practitioners and specialists (MG France and Avenir Spé-Le Bloc) indeed announced on Sunday February 26 their “unanimous” rejection of the new consultation rates proposed for five years by Health Insurance, in return for a commitment to increase their activity.
Valorization perceived as a lack of recognition for doctors
Concretely, the proposal of the Cnam, also supported by the government, provides for a revaluation of the basic consultation to 26.50 euros, instead of 25, and this, without condition. Practitioners agreeing to take more“territorial commitments” (more patients, more on-call duty, opening their practice on Saturdays, etc.) could claim a price of 30 euros. The six representative doctors’ unions have until Tuesday evening to say whether or not they accept this new fee schedule. For Agnès Giannotti in particular, president of MG France, the proposal is inadmissible, at a time when general practitioners suffer above all from a “lack of recognition”.
“To say that we have to commit means that we don’t do it and that is absolutely inaudible for the profession”she said.
“Nobody talks about the sums spent on general medicine”
Consulted by Doctissimo, Dr Yvon Le Flohic, general practitioner, argues that the problem is based above all on a lack of knowledge of the figures in the sector and intends to set foot in the dish:
“In this debate, ultimately, no one mentions the real cost of general medicine in terms of remuneration, and that’s a problem, because we don’t know what we’re talking about. In France, according to INSEE, health expenditure annual costs represent 290 billion euros, of which only 10.5 billion constitute the remuneration of general practitioners in sector 1. There is more money devoted to administration in France (14 billion) than to the care itself. And with that, we want doctors everywhere, day and night, all over the country” he points.
The other point of friction according to him, remains that the revaluation does not even follow the current inflation. This tenses doctors, of course, but can also discourage the doctors of tomorrow:
“If we just wanted to compensate for Insee inflation, that would be like opting for a price of 30 euros, without even counting on an improved service. But even so, that would mean that for the next 5 years, inflation will not be compensated Everyone realizes that there is a lack of appetite for general medicine, for young people who are settling in, but it makes you wonder if we really want them to settle down, or not ?”
The government will not budge
Guest of France Inter this Monday morning, François Braun, the Minister of Health himself let it be known that he was “almost certain” that no agreement would be reached by Tuesday evening, but refused to consider a further step towards general practitioners. Add 1.50 euro to the price of the consultation, “it’s more than we’ve ever done, it’s already huge”, he insisted.
If the other unions reject the proposal by Tuesday evening, an arbitration settlement will be proposed in three months at the latest. A regulation that “binds everyone for at least two years” if the Minister of Health accepts it.