Dentists pick up but do not disarm. From this Monday, these health professionals begin a week of strike to denounce the reform of the tariffs applicable to the 1er January 2018. “Making a dentist appointment this week could be complicated”, prognosis Le Figaro.
It is local coordination (1) and not the unions that are calling for this new protest movement. Suffice to say that the mobilization should be strong, especially since the students intend to amplify it on social networks (#Dentger). In Lorraine, in Eure, in Ile-et-Vilaine, points out AFP, a majority of dental practices should be closed. Tuesday, demonstrations are planned, in particular in Rennes and in other cities.
It is therefore an explosive file that the previous government left to the new majority. The tariff reform had been the subject of months of negotiations between the dental unions and the national health insurance fund. In vain.
Faced with this acknowledgment of failure, the former Minister of Health then imposed an arbitration settlement providing for a ceiling on the prices of prostheses (crowns, bridges, implants) and to increase conservative care, scaling, for example. A necessary reform but with insufficient upgrades, according to the profession. Dentists arguing that investments in equipment could only be amortized by profits made on prostheses.
With this file, Agnès Buzyn enters into “the hard” discussions with the health professions. Beyond the categorical claims, it is indeed the balance between health insurance, the actors of health and the complementary ones in question. Marisol Touraine had opened the door wide to insurers and mutuals in the field of covering health expenses. But the latter had asked for substantial compensation before committing. Capping the prices of prostheses was part of their demands.
(1) Departmental Coordination Units for Liberal Dentists
