Glasses covered at 100%, with third-party payment, on condition of lowering the VAT. Three unions of opticians presented two proposals in favor of the full reimbursement of glasses before the direction of Social Security, this Friday. A request made by the government. Here are the main points.
“With regard to glasses, dental prostheses and hearing, I set the objective of 100% coverage by 2022”, promised Emmanuel Macron during his presidential campaign.
At the end of January, the Minister of Health Agnès Buzin received the actors of optics and dental and hearing prostheses, to supervise the creation of a “standard” care basket for which patients would have no remainder to pay.
The Rassemblement des opticiens de France (Rof), in collaboration with the Union des Opticiens (UDO) and the National Union of Reunited Opticians (Snor) has therefore presented its proposals in favor of the famous “rest at zero charge” requested by the government. , this Friday in front of the direction of Social Security.
Offers at 100 and 200 euros
Two proposals have been put forward to allow the 7.5 million French people who are poorly covered by their complementary health insurance to benefit from a standard “quality” offer at 100 euros for “simple” glasses and 200 euros for glasses ” complexes”, while the others could benefit from a “personalized” offer up to their guarantees.
A reduction in VAT
A device, however, difficult to put in place without incurring a reduction in VAT. Currently 20%, the profession is calling for it to be lowered to 5.5% for medical lenses. “Medical glasses are not fashion accessories!
Admittedly, the reduction in VAT would be a financial loss for the State, but it should be kept in mind that out of a total activity of 6.2 billion euros, the State only participates up to 249 million, explains André Balbi, president of the ROF, quoted by the Figaro. However, we are taxed on the total, in the end the State collects more than a billion euros in levies“.
A vision to improve consumer service
“The purpose of this offer is to respond constructively to the government’s request in order to allow the consumer to have access to a quality offer”, adds Olivier Badieux, vice-president of the ROF. According to him, the “standard” basket would offer the French a better service than the current entry-level glasses: “We would include a choice in the basket so that the consumer can choose a pair of glasses that he likes, with a satisfactory correction and above all, with a renewal frequency of 2 years”.
All optical stores must play the game
The full reimbursement of the glasses will have to be organized according to the “level of coverage” of the French. These offers must be “available in all optical stores” and “without conditions”, specifies the union in a press release. André Balbi also indicates that it will be necessary “to engage in a generalized third-party payment” to avoid advancing the costs. After the implementation of this project, “those who will have the rest will have chosen it”, he added. According to him, this device requires “no new resource for complementary”, so no increase in their prices. “VSThis offer represents an effort for us, we ask the other players to do their part”.
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