The Minister of Health announces the withdrawal of the government’s amendment on the setting of medical prices
The government had announced that it would propose a new version of article 24 of the Social Security budget on the setting of medical prices, which had provoked the anger of liberal doctors’ unions.
This article aimed to allow Health Insurance to unilaterally review medical prices when a situation of excessive profitability was noted. Specialties such as radiotherapy, imaging, dialysis and nephrology in particular were targeted. The new version of the article, which was proposed to the deputies on Tuesday during the second deliberation, “did not contain any unilateral decision” of Health Insurance, assured the Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, a few hours ago, during questions to the government.
Ultimately, the amendment was withdrawn by the government, which wanted “rework”as the Minister of Health explained. Taken up by an MP, the amendment was then largely rejected.
Laurent Wauquiez, the president of the Republican Right group, estimated that the wording of this amendment did not “wasn’t suitable”t had recommended that the government withdraw it.
For his part, Hendrik Davi (Bouches-du-Rhône, Ecologist and Social), also spoke and said he wanted the second deliberation on article 24 to be re-introduced. “At the start of the PLFSS you especially wanted to make the poorest pay (…) and there were some measures, including this one, which aimed to make pensions and liberal annuity situations pay in particular”. He adds that “the profit rates of clinics and radiotherapists increased from 15% to 25%”. “In the initial article 24 there were ambitions and they [ont été] downward revisions by the government »deplores the MP, who nevertheless believes that it is better to have an article 24 – albeit at a discount – than no article 24 at all. “If there are some savings to be made on health, it is of course on the liberal professions who overdo it”concludes Hendrik Davi.