Variable geometry rates. The Citizen Observatory of Remainder Dependents in Health, created in early 2013 by the Interassociative Collective on Health (CISS), 60 Million Consumers and the Santéclair company, draws up an indictment against public hospitals. A study based on data collected by mutuals from 240,000 people hospitalized in 2012 highlights the “inadmissible” price differences between public establishments for the same service and the same length of stay.
Each hospital sets its own rates billed to policyholders based on its charges and forecast activities. We understand better why the daily participation of the insured in care, called the “daily rate of services”, can vary considerably from one public hospital to another, whether it is a small hospital or a university hospital or a large one. structure, precise 60 million consumers on his site. The cost thus fluctuates between € 500 and € 2,230 depending on the public hospitals. This difference in daily rates raises the question of unequal access to care. “The patient bears the brunt of the hospital’s more or less good financial health,” accuses the citizen observatory.
More or less expensive hospital stays
Another cause of concern for 60 million consumers, the difference observed in the cost of hospital stays. Generally, the patient with a mutual insurance pays an average of 26 euros for his hospitalization since this is largely covered by health insurance and supplementary insurance. Without the intervention of the complementary insurance, the cost reaches on average 511 euros, estimates the Citizen Observatory of the remainders to load. Problem, in more than 24% of cases, the bill turns out to be much heavier than these 511 euros. It climbs beyond € 1,300 (in 10% of cases) and even € 5,190 for 1% of stays. “Poorly covered patients can then end up with out-of-pocket expenses of several thousand euros at the end of their stay,” denounces 60 million consumers.
The Observatory concludes by calling on the public authorities to reduce “these price distortions which accentuate inequalities in access to care”.
