Optics, dental: the French can now take advantage of the “rest at zero charge”

The second phase of the so-called “100% health” reform came into effect on 1^er January 2020, now forcing opticians and dentists to offer certain glasses and dental prostheses with a “zero charge” to their patients. Similarly, some models of hearing aids should be more accessible.

Registered in the social security financing law for 2019the system will come into full effect in 2021. Promised by Emmanuel Macron during his presidential campaign in 2017, this measure aims to strengthen access to care for all and to fight against inequalities, since these services will be fully reimbursed by Security social security and complementary health insurance for patients.

As pointed out The world, 4.7 million French people did without prosthetic dental care and 2.1 million hearing aids. “We are going to have an influx of patients that we did not see, because they did not have the means, he believes. In certain areas with medical under-density, we may not be able, at first, to satisfy all these requests”, explains to the daily Thierry Soulie, president of the Dental surgeons of France (CDF).

A two-speed health risk?

In detail, dentists will be required to present three baskets of care to their patients: the first with a “zero charge”, includes basic care and standard quality prostheses, the price of which will be capped at €500. The second with top quality crowns, bridges and dentures at prices capped at €550, which will therefore not be 100% covered by Health Insurance. Finally, the third will include high-end, non-reimbursable prostheses, such as implants. For their part, opticians will have to present at least 17 different models of frames in at least 2 colors to adults (and 10 for children).

But can this device guarantee quality care? The Federation of Liberal Dental Unions (FDSL), the main organization in the sector, denounced in 2018 a “very insufficient prevention and an incentive for low-cost care”. Indeed, the text provides that only metal crowns for the back teeth and standard ceramic crowns for the front teeth will be fully reimbursed. “Demagogic measures that make us go back thirty years”, judged a few months ago the president of the FSDL, Patrick Stolera, in the newspaper Le Figaro.

Another concern: 75% of the “zero charge remainder” (estimated at 1 billion euros) will be covered by Social Security, the balance will be financed by mutual insurance companies, raising fears, according to some, of an increase in contributions. AT the occasion of the 42^and Congress of the Mutualité Française which took place from June 13 to 15 in Montpellier, Bernard Spitz, president of the French Insurance Federation, had warned: “We will play the game, but if we realize that there is a gap, it will have to be filled.” Case to follow.