In areas well endowed with dentists, the Health Insurance will only contract a new dentist if another leaves. The agreement provides for a new tariff agreement which aims to develop preventive care.
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The Health Insurance and the two main unions of liberal dentists signed, on Friday July 21, a new tariff agreement which aims to develop preventive care, with the objective of achieving a “cavity-free generation”. In another area, the new agreement provides for the first time for regulatory measures on the installation of dentists, to stop the formation of deserts of practitioners as there are for doctors.
In areas very well endowed with dentists (areas where 5% of the population live and where 9% of dentists currently practice), the Health Insurance will only contract a new dentist if another leaves. This measure will also concern salaried dentists in dental centers, which are multiplying at the moment in large cities, arousing the concern of the Liberals.
The demographics of dentists”is more or less stable, where it drops sharply for doctors and increases sharply for paramedics”, said Thomas Fatôme, director general of the Cnam (the health insurance fund), presenting the new agreement. Dentists thus join physiotherapists and nurses in the group of health professions at the regulated facility. Some Members would like to add doctors to this list.
600 million euros of additional expenditure
According to this agreement running until 2028, a dental examination may also be reimbursed each year for the age group 3-24 years. The price of these examinations will be more attractive for dentists, with an increase of 10 euros (30 to 40 euros for the simple examination for example). The prices of preventive care will increase by 30%, in order to be more attractive for the practitioner, but only for 3-24 year olds.
The installation of a fluoride varnish, intended to protect the teeth from cavities, will be supported until the age of 24, instead of 9 years currently. And for all patients, the new agreement provides for an overall increase in conservative treatment prices of 4%. In total, the new agreement represents additional expenditure of 600 million euros, over the entire period 2023-2028.