On January 1, 2022, the
“emergency patient package
” will arrive at the hospital.
It will replace both the current “
emergency reception and treatment
” package and the user fee.
Under this old system, the patient was informed of the amount to be paid for his trip to the emergency room by receiving his bill at his home, sometimes several weeks later.
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With the upcoming device, patients whose passage is not followed by hospitalization will be informed of this amount before leaving the emergency room.
The invoice will be sent to them at their home a few days later, within a supposedly shorter deadline.
Avoid the flight of the remainder of the charge
According to the new pricing, the costs will be capped at 19.61 euros. The exact amount will depend on the patient's situation. For example, people suffering from a long-term illness (disabling stroke, HIV infection, etc.) will henceforth have to pay an amount of 8.51 euros. Pregnant women six months and over, child victims of abuse, victims of terrorism and Covid patients will be exempt from fees. For the 95% of French people with complementary health insurance, these costs will then be reimbursed, partially or in full, depending on what it provides.
The aim is not only to make billing faster for hospitals, but also to avoid the (sometimes astronomical) surge in costs that patients may face. Currently, people going to the emergency room without being subsequently hospitalized are subject to a flat rate
"reception and treatment of emergencies"
in the amount of 25.28 euros (or 40 euros between midnight and 6 a.m.), of which 80% by health insurance and 20% payable by the patient.
In addition to this, the patient must free himself from the costs of additional medical examinations (scanner, X-ray, blood test, etc.) that his visit may have caused.
This is the co-payment.
Here too, 80% of the costs are covered by health insurance and 20% are the responsibility of the patient.
But if this remaining charge represents 19 euros on average, it can reach up to several hundred euros depending on the examinations from which the patient has benefited.
As for people whose passage to the emergency room is followed by hospitalization, they will always be subject to a co-payment with a 20% charge.
