Since January 1, 11 million patients can benefit from third-party payment. But many liberal medical unions are already calling for a boycott.
It has made many doctors cringe for more than two years. Yet another important step in third-party payment has just been taken. Since January 1, patients covered 100% by health insurance, i.e. pregnant women from January 6th months of pregnancy and people with long-term affection (ALD), can benefit from third-party payment. More than 11 million patients will thus be able to request an advance fee waiver from their doctors.
“This measure will facilitate access to care for people with low salaries, and in particular those who are above social minimums,” greets Claude Rambaud, co-president of the Interassociative Collective On Health (CISS). Many French people know that from the 20th of the month, they are within a few cents, which makes them postpone their doctor’s appointment. Third-party payment is therefore a very good thing. “
But this advance for patients does not go far enough for Claude Rambaud. Today, doctors are required to apply third party payment for the Health Insurance part. The mutual part therefore remains the responsibility of the patients, although doctors can offer to apply the third party payment in its entirety.
Claude Rambaud, co-president of the CISS: ” The third party payment is a considerable improvement, it is really necessary to relax the situation … “
No sanction
A device “too complex” for the main unions of liberal doctors. To affirm once again their refusal of the generalized third party payment, MG France, the first union of general practitioners, called for a boycott of this exemption from optional advance fees. Other unions, such as the CSMF fiercely hostile to third-party payment, call on their colleagues not to apply it at all.
“If professionals refuse to practice third-party payment, patients can notify the Primary Health Insurance Fund or a patient association which can represent them such as the CISS”, indicates Claude Rambaud who deplores that no sanction will be taken at the against recalcitrant doctors. The director of Health Insurance, Nicolas Revel, has indeed assured doctors that they will not be exposed to any sanction if they refuse to apply it.
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