Many are unaware of it, but when a doctor, pharmacist, lawyer, accountant, midwife, dentist, insurance agent, liberal nurse falls ill, he does not receive any daily allowance because of sick leave before, in the best case, the… 91st day of interruption of activity.
An aberration highlighted by the Covid-19 crisis which has seen an increase in unpaid work stoppages.
The Autonomous Retirement Fund for Doctors of France, for example, recorded between March and May 2020, no less than 6,000 declarations of work stoppages by liberal doctors directly linked to Covid-19.
Professionals who have not received anything until the Ministry of Health grants exemptions to compensate these sick patients, from the first day, the cost being borne by the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam) .
1.1 million professionals involved
To no longer know these situations, the government tabled on October 16 in the National Assembly an amendment to the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) for 2021, currently under debate which should most likely be adopted, and change the life of 1.1 million liberal professionals.
This amendment puts an end to an injustice that pushes professionals unable to work not to stop or to take expensive private insurance.
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At the end of this amendment n ° 2699, from July 1, 2021, a single daily allowance system, with compulsory membership and contribution, common to all liberal professionals, will be inaugurated to compensate for work stoppages.
Its design will be entrusted to the National Old Age Insurance Fund for Liberal Professions (CNAVPL), which brings together ten “professional sections” representing around one hundred professions (including UNAPL, Cipav, Carpimko, Carmf, etc.).
Private insurance not all risks
“Personally, I had to take out private insurance at 120 euros per month because my provident plan grants me zero daily allowances in the event of sick leave,” says Mathieu, insurance agent in Louviers (Eure).
But this insurance still imposes on me 90 days of waiting.
In my case, it does not matter because if I stop, my business does not stop: the contributions come back anyway at the end of the month, I can work from home and my collaborators will run the shop.
But for those whose presence is essential, such as physiotherapists or dentists, it's different.
"
A nurse in a private practice near Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), Alexandra, she sees this reform favorably.
“As we are not covered for 90 days by our fund, I don't stop or exchange my working days with my associates so as not to lose anything, but when I resume, I have to work twice as much!
Alexandra ended up taking out private insurance.
“It costs me 300 euros per month and reimburses pretty well, but if I stop for burnout or depression, ailments from which many liberal nurses suffer, it is not taken care of!
So if it's to create a fairer system, this reform is a good idea.
"
A daily allowance of between 50 and 60 euros
Overall, the idea is rather welcomed, in particular by the union of general practitioners, MG France who sees it as an opportunity to "restore the attractiveness of liberal medicine".
But he "remains vigilant" because, "the law will require a decree to fix the amount and duration of the compensation, and to define the terms of the contribution ..."
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President of the UNAPL, which federates 68 liberal professional groups, Michel Picon welcomes the initiative and the government, "which allows us to organize ourselves to put in place this safety net for all the liberal professions, many of whom have nothing at all ".
But under what conditions?
"We have already worked on the subject," specifies Michel Picon, administrator of the CNAVPL.
The daily allowance should be around 50-60 euros, be paid from the fourth or seventh day, and the contribution rate modeled on that set by the artisan traders to balance their fund: around 0.85% of tax income , a low contribution thanks to the pooling between 1.1 million liberal.
At the beginning, we should compensate for 90 days, then the occupational schemes will take over.
"
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"Collection of contributions, payment of benefits and control of stoppages by medical consultants will be provided by the Urssaf network and by the Cnam", specifies the amendment.