The compromise still seems far between Health Insurance and liberal doctors. On Sunday, the two main unions among general practitioners (MG France) and specialists (Avenir Spé-Le Bloc) announced their “unanimous” rejection of the new consultation rates proposed by Health Insurance, in return for a commitment to increase their activity. The six unions of representative doctors (CSMF, MG France, Avenir Spé, UFML, FMF and SML) have until Tuesday evening to say whether or not they accept the new price list for consultations and other packages proposed by Insurance. illness for five years.
But with the refusal of the two main organizations, the negotiations started in November seem to be off to a bad start. “There was 98% participation and 100% said no to the signature. A unanimous negative vote” which “must be likely to make politicians think,” said Agnès during a press conference. Giannotti, the president of MG France. Same result at Avenir Spé-Le Bloc, meeting in general assembly on Sunday: “No signature, unanimously”, indicated to AFP its president, Patrick Gasser. “We did what we could, it’s a failure,” he added, but “the responsibility lies with others, in government and above.”
A “lack of recognition”
The proposal of the Cnam (National Health Insurance Fund) provides that all medical consultations would 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. Practitioners agreeing to make “territorial commitments” (having more patients, participating in on-call duty, practicing in a medical desert …) would obtain a higher consultation rate, at 30 euros for example for general practitioners.
But among general practitioners, this question of the tariff was “marginal” in the outcome of the vote, assured Agnès Giannotti, explaining that practitioners mainly suffer from a “lack of recognition”. “To say that we have to get involved means that we don’t do it. And that is absolutely inaudible for the profession,” she added. On the Cnam side, “this proposal confirms the will of Health Insurance to respond to the problem of access to care for all, by strongly supporting the liberal doctors who are committed to this same approach, in the logic of give-and-take “, she said a few weeks ago.
With this rejection of the two organizations weighing more than 30% each among generalists and specialists, the draft agreement supported by the government is about to fall through. In the absence of an unlikely alliance between at least two of the four remaining unions, the new rates will be set by an “arbitrator”, in this case a senior official appointed by the executive.
According to Agence France Presse, the Ministry of Health has planned to speak on the subject during a telephone point with journalists this Monday, February 27 in the middle of the morning. On February 14, many general practitioners had closed their practices to go and demonstrate, as in December during the holidays. The unions do not exclude a new call for mobilization to be heard.