2023-11-28 20:50:34
HEALTH – Faced with the multiplication of medical deserts in France, the consumer association UFC-Que Choisir contacted the Council of State this Wednesday, November 22. She asks the court to sanction the government’s inaction, but also to order the State to take concrete measures. The association proposes to reconsider the freedom of installation of doctors and to eliminate sector 2 which allows health professionals to freely set their prices.
UFC-Que Choisir is launching a national awareness and mobilization campaign #MaSantéNattendPlus. She also calls for the signature of her petition Access to care: I blame the State.
A geographical and financial divide
According to his news studyby focusing on access only to doctors respecting the approved Social Security rate and based on the medical offer accessible within a 45-minute drive, UFC-Que Choisir estimates that “83% of French people reside in a medical desert” for at least one of the medical specialties (pediatrics, gynecology, ophthalmology).
“If medical deserts are less widespread for general practitioners (2.6% of the population), the situation still remains tense for 23.7% of users who have significant difficulties accessing this pillar of the care pathway less than 30 minutes from home”, can we also read on the site from the Association.
She also denounces the delays in obtaining appointments, which can, for example, take from 65 days to a year for a simple check-up visit to an ophthalmologist. On the other hand, she notes that waiting times are reduced if users contact professionals who charge overcharges.
The association criticizes the State for having done nothing to combat the proliferation of medical deserts in France, nor for having facilitated consultations with specialists who apply the agreed rate. She is now appealing to the Council of State to have these breaches punished, but also for the court to require the government to tackle the problem more seriously.
Removal of freedom of installation for doctors and sector 2
To improve the situation, UFC-Que Choisir proposes the establishment of a territorial agreement for doctors, which no longer allows them to settle in over-endowed areas. No government has yet dared to touch the doctor’s sacrosanct freedom of installation. Very recently, in June, the National Assembly examined a bill aimed at improving access to care. The majority of deputies rejected an amendment proposing it.
The association also denounces the ineffectiveness of OPTAM (Controlled Practical Pricing Option), a system whose stated aim is to reduce fee overruns. Instead, UFC-Que Choisir suggests simply abolishing access to sector 2 (free fees). “New doctors should only have the choice between sector 1 with fees without excesses, but revalued when necessary”, supports the consumer association.
Finally, she proposes the elimination of public aid for doctors who do not respect the Social Security rate.
#Access #care #UFCQue #Choisir #attacks #government #inaction