At the CSMF summer school, the director general of health insurance said that the income of general practitioners had increased by 10% for four years.
Nicolas Revel, the Director General of Health Insurance, was expected to stand firm this Saturday at the 21e summer school of the CSMF (1), the main union of liberal doctors. The boss of the CNAMTS (2) did not go there with the back of the spoon in his exchanges with the doctors.
+ 10% in four years for general practitioners
In front of these trade unionists who demand a revaluation of the consultation of the general practitioner with a base price of 30 euros (against 23 today), he maintained that the incomes of the practitioners had increased.
By affirming in front of a stunned room: “The gross income (excluding various charges) of all liberal doctors increased by 9.3% between 2010 and 2014. This evolution is even + 10% for general practitioners”, a- he added.
A different perception among doctors
In order to avoid the anger of his audience, he however tempered: “I recall these figures while being aware that it is not a question of the net income of doctors, and above all, I am aware that your perception is different. “.
Thus, Nicolas Revel did not hesitate to recognize the increased workload in medical practices, “with more and more patients suffering from chronic diseases, and the frequent support of patients with multiple pathologies”.
Finally, he returned to the administrative tasks of doctors, which “have increased in recent years”, he admitted. For those without a medical secretary, this paperwork can take “up to 1 hour 30 minutes a day, or 10 to 15% of their time,” he said (Source: IRDES). Without offering anything to reduce it …
Appointment made after October 12
Nicolas Revel therefore struggled to find the words to appease the confederal executives. However, he has tried everything, even going so far as to say: “All the claims of the doctors are legitimate, none of them are a problem for me”.
The hope for assistance, however, lasted only a second since he went on to say: “However, we will not be able to take everything because we will not be able to finance everything”.
As an example, he recalled that increasing the basic price of the consultation from 23 to 25 euros would cost the Health Insurance 550 million euros. A sum far from being trivial for this branch of Social Security which already has to face a deficit of 7.2 billion euros. In this context, Nicolas Revel preferred to postpone the deadline. “This negotiation on medical tariffs will only take place after the professional elections to URPS (3) ”which will open soon and until October 12, he concluded.
(1) Confederation of French Medical Syndicates
(2) National Health Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers
(3) Regional Union of Health Professionals
.
