More than half of specialist doctors charge excess fees, according to the consumer association UFC Que Choisir, which denounces
“the soaring price of care”
and its consequences on the health of the poorest.
According to the association, which compiled Health Insurance data, 52.2% of private specialist doctors applied excess fees in 2021, compared to 45.8% a year earlier.
Of the eight specialties taken into account in the study, gynecology is the one which practices the most excesses, with 71.4% of the practitioners concerned.
The average excess for gynecologists is 20.60 euros, on a basic consultation set at 30 euros (2021 figures).
Next come ophthalmologists (66.7% above the Health Insurance rate, for an average overrun of 13.80 euros), and anesthesiologists (58.8% are above the Social Security rate, for an average overrun of 13.80 euros). 10.90 euros).
“Profound territorial inequalities”
But
“national averages mask deep territorial inequalities”
, underlines Que Choisir, who notes that a consultation can be
“up to 2.5 times more expensive from one department to another”
.
Generally speaking, Paris is the champion in all categories of overtaking, followed by the rest of Île-de-France, the southern coastal departments (Alpes-Maritimes and Var in particular) and a few departments with large metropolises. , notably the Rhône and the Bas-Rhin.
Among anesthetists, whose prices can vary from one to two across France, the enforceable price of 30 euros is respected in 17 departments, mainly rural.
On the other hand,
“in five departments (Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Somme, Haute-Saône), the fees amount to 50 euros or more”,
underlines Que Choisir.
45% struggle to find medical appointments
Faced with this growing distance from the conventional rate, Que Choisir calls for
“the closure of access to sector 2 (free fees) for new arrivals”
.
For the association, new doctors should only be entitled to the new so-called “Optam” system, which authorizes fee overruns but under much more controlled conditions than in “sector 2”.
The Optam practitioner has in particular the obligation to keep the conventional fees for part of his patient base.
Furthermore, while private doctors are currently negotiating with Health Insurance, Que Choisir is asking to
“condition”
a future increase in the conventional price to
“the effective reduction of the remainder payable by users”
.
According to an exclusive survey by the UFC-Que Choisir Consumer Observatory in November 2023, carried out among a representative sample of 1,004 people, 45% of the lowest-income respondents say they struggle to find medical appointments, compared to only 4% of the wealthiest households.
According to this survey, 38% of people who consider themselves to be in poor health give up care for financial reasons.