Hello Doctor?
The health crisis continues, so does the Social Security aid.
In addition to the bill transforming the health pass into a vaccine pass, which will be examined at first reading in the Assembly next Monday, the government wishes to maintain "full support for medical teleconsultation", in force since March 2020.
This device, which was to end on December 31, would be extended by decree "at the latest until July 31, 2022", according to one of the amendments tabled by the executive and voted on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, without debate.
By adopting a government amendment, MEPs extend the full reimbursement of teleconsultations, until July 31, 2022 at the latest. # Covid #PasseVaccinal #DirectAN pic.twitter.com/V9yzhqj6ug
- LCP (@LCP) December 29, 2021
A measure defended by Olivier Véran "because it has shown its effectiveness": the number of teleconsultations had indeed increased from 10,000 to one million per week at the start of the epidemic, "in particular thanks to this 100% care. which makes it simple, ”said the Minister of Health before the Law Commission.
"Avoid any break in cash flow"
Six months before the first confinement, seeing his doctor behind a screen, explaining his symptoms to him without him being able to check them for himself, did not work for patients or for practitioners. Health Insurance recorded 60,000 video consultations, out of a total of 350 million. The Covid changed everything, 4.5 million teleconsultations were carried out in April 2019, and last June, they represented 4% of the total. An adoption that the government intends to keep, because it makes it possible in particular to fight against medical deserts and unclog the waiting rooms of patients who have only come to renew their prescriptions.
In the same vein, the government intends to perpetuate “until June 30, 2022” the “funding guarantee for public and private health establishments”, also introduced in March 2020 and which expired on December 31. "It is a very strong expectation of all establishments", explained Mr. Véran, anxious to "avoid any break in cash flow (...) at a time when we ask for deprogramming of care".
Ditto for liberal doctors practicing in private clinics and hospitals "and affected by the repetition of deprogramming": the "exceptional support system" created to compensate for their loss of activity in the second half of 2021 must be renewed "until the 30th. June 2022 ”.
“At a time when we ask them to come and lend a hand and be fully mobilized in the fight against Covid, they must not have any loss of income,” explained the Minister.
