While we thought the government was close to give in to grumbling doctors, third-party payment will finally be extended to all French people, gradually by 2017. But this generalization, hoped for by 2 out of 3 French people, will be done in stages. On July 1, 2016, doctors will have the technical system that will allow them to offer third-party payment to all patients covered 100% by Medicare (pregnant women, people with long-term illness or occupational disease) , or about 15 million people who alone account for half of the consultations.
As a priority: patients taken at 100%
“For 6 months, practitioners will be able to test and appropriate the technical system. And, on December 31, this will become a right for all patients covered at 100%” announced the Minister of Social Affairs and Health, Marisol Touraine. Doctors will then have a year ahead of them to take ownership of the system so that third-party payment becomes a right for all French people by December 31, 2017.
As doctors announced they would come down in the street on march 15 next, the minister tried to calm their grumbling by providing them with payment guarantees. “The law will guarantee a secure device for the doctor. A guarantee of payment for professionals will be included in the law: payment for electronic care sheets must be made within 7 days; if this period is exceeded, the Health insurance will have to pay penalties to the doctor. The law will also impose an obligation of transparency on the average payment times for each primary fund” announced the minister.
The examination of the Health Bill should begin next week in parliament.
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