Publicity stunt or real generosity? Arretmaladie.fr offers from this Friday, February 28, free teleconsultations dedicated to the coronavirus. "This is our selfless way of putting technology at the service of the fight against the coronavirus", is justified Can Ansay, CEO of the online consultation platform which takes care of small sores: colds and other gastro and , from this Friday, painful periods, stress, back pain and migraine.
"Last week, our doctors were contacted twice by patients who returned from China and were asked by the employer to stay home and provide sick leave," says Can Ansay. Asymptomatic, but at risk patients, to whom arretmaladie.fr has prescribed 14 days off, in accordance with the recommendations of the health authorities.
On February 26, the government published an update to a February 1 decree making it possible to compensate people at risk of coronavirus having to be confined from day 1, with sick leave.
"It is the easiest solution for these employees to continue to receive an income while protecting the rest of the population," said the CEO who decided to offer this service. For the moment, these free teleconsultations are reserved only for patients returning from China who must show their passport during the virtual visit. Why not those returning from Italy or Iran? Can Ansay does not say so.
A "commodification of stops"
For patients returning from Asia, the platform has designed a specific questionnaire, in French and Chinese. If there is suspicion, a 14-day stop is granted. Then the platform doctors call the patient twice a day to check their condition and temperature. It is a good way to promote quarantine and to enforce the duration of confinement. If the patient does not have sanitary masks and a thermometer, the platform will send them free of charge. "In case of symptoms, says the CEO, we invite the patient to contact the Samu or the 15."
VIDEO. Coronavirus: advice from 2 doctors to protect yourself well
Inaugurated on January 7, the platform has since delivered "1,315 sick leaves, all not reimbursed", a figure lower than ambitions. Convened in summary proceedings last February 14 by the National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam), the Order of physicians and two other entities which denounce a "commodification of arrests", arretmaladie.fr saw the hearing postponed to March 28.
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Asked about the site's new gift offer, the director of the Cnam, Nicolas Revel criticizes the process. “There is no question of sick leaves being issued to people at risk by liberal doctors. Only doctors from regional health agencies are empowered to prescribe when the employer of an employee returning from a risk area does not want or can not set up telework. "
The question remains: how could health insurance reject these judgments, since the pathology is not included?