Marisol Touraine announced generalization of third-party paymentfor all patients by 2017. A first step will be taken this year to offer exemption from advance fees for beneficiaries of supplementary health assistance (ACS).
“The generalization of third-party payment is a necessary fundamental reform, which will contribute to better access to care, in particular for the too many households for which the advance of costs constitutes a brake” recalls the Minister in a press release.
In a report made public, the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (Igas) assessed that “the generalization of third-party payment is technically possible.” A consultation for the launch of this new device and the technical choices is put in place to lead to an operational reform in accordance with the reflections of the main actors of the file, the health insurance plans, the complementary organizations, and unions of doctors.
“The system put in place must be simple and secure, both for doctors and for patients; the risks of cash flow or additional administrative burden must be completely controlled and ruled out, in particular for doctors,” says Marisol Touraine. “Protecting access to care for the most vulnerable patients must be the leitmotif of the decisions that will be made. »
Doctors opposed to the project
The Confederation of French Medical Unions (CSMF) reacted to the publication of the IGAS report and the press release from the Ministry of Health. If the CSMF affirms that it remains “in favor of social third-party payment for patients in precarious situations, it opposes the generalization of a gas plant which will be at the expense of doctors because it is technically impracticable. »
It announces in a press release that “this report is a smokescreen intended to make people believe that generalized third-party payment is technically possible, pretending to ignore the many difficulties borne by healthcare professionals alone and the lack of awareness by patients about the cost of their care. »
