French Specialist Doctors Call for Abolition of Healthcare Cost Oversight Body
PARIS – The Fédération des Médecins de France – Spécialistes (FMF-Spécialistes) is urgently appealing to french lawmakers to dismantle the Haute Conseil pour l’Avenir de l’Assurance Maladie (HCAAM), a healthcare cost oversight body, citing its ineffectiveness and detrimental impact on specialist medical care. The call comes as legislators consider amendment CS399, proposed by Deputy corentin Le Fur, which seeks the HCAAM’s suppression as part of approved budgetary savings.
The FMF-Spécialistes argues the HCAAM, comprised of 75 insurers and healthcare administrators, prioritizes fee reductions over increased reimbursements, ultimately increasing out-of-pocket costs for patients and threatening the quality of specialist care. This debate centers on a basic tension within the French healthcare system: balancing affordability with maintaining a high standard of medical expertise, particularly as healthcare costs have risen nationally over the past three decades. The outcome will directly affect both patients and the approximately [number not specified in text, but implied to be significant] specialist physicians who rely on sector 2 billing-allowing for fees above standard reimbursement rates-to sustain their practices.
According to FMF-spécialistes president Dr.Bernard huynh,the current equation – specialist fees minus (AMO+AMC reimbursement) – results in an unacceptable financial burden on patients. He contends the HCAAM’s focus on limiting fees ignores the escalating administrative costs of AMO and AMC insurers, which he claims are six times greater than the sector 2 supplemental fees. Dr. huynh further asserts that despite near-total digitalization of the reimbursement system, promised productivity gains have not materialized, contributing to the financial strain.
“the HCAAM’s approach is dangerous and ineffective,” stated Dr. Huynh. “It fails to recognize the investment and expertise required for modern medicine and actively contributes to the degradation of care.”
Sector 2 billing, the institution emphasizes, serves as a crucial safeguard for specialists – including surgeons and obstetricians – whose standard reimbursement rates are frequently enough insufficient to cover costs and maintain a high level of practice. The organization believes the HCAAM duplicates the function of other existing bodies and represents a costly and unproductive use of public funds.
The FMF-Spécialistes is urging legislators to seriously re-examine amendment CS399, already approved by the Senate, and proceed with the HCAAM’s abolition. Dr. Huynh can be reached at 06 61 72 29 27.
