Student dentists are angry with Medicare. The tariffs do not make it possible to make profitable conservation and preventive care.
They have not yet received their diploma and they are already on the streets. Dentistry students voice their anger towards Medicare. In question, the convention which governs the tariff relations with the dental surgeons. The negotiations failed. On February 8, an arbitrator will be appointed. A decision that is not to reassure future dentists.
Too meager a counterpart
“The agreement risks leading to a drop in the quality of care for our patients”, warns Adèle Prevost. The young woman is in her 5e year of study in dental surgery. Like her other comrades, she is supposed to practice in the hospital, as part of her training. But the sixteen faculties of the country declared the strike, in order to protest against the amendment to the convention. “We no longer go to the hospital, we no longer provide care,” she confirms.
The students also launched some spontaneous demonstrations, all with the aim of calling on the Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine. “This morning, we blocked the primary health insurance fund from 14e arrondissement ”, illustrates Adèle Prevost. In the other departments where a faculty is also established, these interventions were organized. These two speakers are not chosen at random: the Ministry and the Health Insurance will participate in the discussions which will fix the name of the arbitrator. The latter will have to draft the final version of the tariff agreement. Dentistry students are far from comfortable on this subject.
In the version offered by Health Insurance, the price of prostheses is capped. Crowns, bridges and other related care should therefore be billed less. In exchange, UNCAM undertakes to revalue conservative and preventive care… but in a way that is far from sufficient in the eyes of the students.
Acts at a loss
“We want dentistry that no longer needs crowns or implants because the care system allows natural teeth to be preserved,” explains Adèle Prevost. We are not opposed to the fact that prostheses are cheaper, but on the condition that conservative care is paid for at its fair value. “
The price of preventive and conservation care is the heart of the matter. For the treatment of a cavity, it takes about 28 euros. “The problem is that the system is inconsistent, points out Adèle Prevost. Conservation care is taken at a loss. “Professional dentists and in training believe that the rates of the Social Security do not compensate for the high cost of the technical platform and the costs of maintaining the office.
Other procedures, such as periodontal care, are only reimbursed for certain people, such as diabetics. Yet they would be useful. “Gingivitis and periodontitis are the cause of tooth loss,” the Parisian student developed. If we could promote this care, it would allow some patients to keep their teeth longer, and delay prosthetic care. ” It will be necessary, a priori, still be patient before these complaints are heard. And patients risk being the big losers in this expectation.
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