Towards a financial revaluation of the role of referring doctors

During a new negotiation meeting, Thursday, December 21, the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam) put 100 million euros on the table. A first annual envelope to try to meet the many expectations of doctors, who are also affected by inflation which is eroding their purchasing power, and whose Social Security wants to strengthen their presence in medical deserts. The cup is full when it comes to writing, between now and February, the next medical convention which will fix for five years the organizational principles of the profession, and the financial rules that go with it.

The Director General of Health Insurance, Thomas Fatôme, suggests promoting in particular the care of elderly patients or patients with long-term illnesses who require more attentive, considerate monitoring. The same goes for the care of very precarious or disabled patients. It is for this specific package that the director of Health Insurance advances the general revaluation envelope of 100 million euros per year, or, on average, 2,000 euros per doctor.

Doctors want an upgrade in consultation

A private doctor earns on average 16,000 euros per year under the attending physician package, which is added to the remuneration for consultations. Social Security recognizes that this package represents a little less than 10% of a general practitioner’s remuneration, hence the idea of ​​upgrading this part.

Doctors consider this to be just a stage. Doctors are waiting as a priority for an increase in their entire base rate (the price of the consultations themselves), and this subject will only be discussed in January. Before this next meeting, the CNAM still wants to discuss several themes such as the quality of care, block work or medico-technical specialties. For now, each side is discussing and observing each other. Nothing is won and the pressure remains strong.