Convention dentists : Agnès Buzyn shows his good will

PIERRE VILLARD/SIPA

Published the 07.08.2017 to 13h37

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A few months after the confrontation between the ministry of Health, health Insurance and the unions of dental surgeons, Agnès Buzyn took advantage of the summer break to reach out to the professionals. It proposes that a new session of discussions to be open with health Insurance.

“By letter received on July 18, 2017, the Minister of Solidarity and Health has prompted the UNCAM to reopen negotiations with the dentists in view of the signing of a new agreement,” said the national Union of sickness insurance funds in an account of a meeting of the 20th July last.

David lost to Goliath

Negotiations had been initiated in 2016 to modify the national convention of the dentists liberals. With three main objectives : to strengthen prevention, improve the financial access of patients, and foster care conservatives.

But after months of discussions, the parties were not agreed. An arbitration authoritarian health Insurance, at the end of march, had sealed the debates and triggered the anger of the dentists, who had for many closed their offices for a week in June, thus responding to the call of the unions.

They were protesting against the grid of the new rates, which includes a cap on the price of prostheses, in exchange for a re-evaluation of current care, such as treatment of a cavity. Not enough for the professionals, who feel that the new pricing is going to be a race to the bottom care. They denounced also the effects of the proclamation which, according to them, it was not based on concrete actions, but more on a “piecemeal” ineffective.

Agnès Buzyn more diplomat ?

These decisions were taken under the direction of Marisol Touraine, minister of Health. After the presidential elections, the hot potato was passed to Agnès Buzyn, who had lived through the strikes and tried to appease the spirits. End, June, she had received the Federation of trade unions, dental liberals (FSDL). Its president, Philippe Denoyelle, was said to have found ” a listening ear “.

The one-year suspension of the application of the new rates, initially scheduled for 1 January 2018, as determined by the department, should satisfy the dentists. The postponement will also allow the Insurance to make some savings. For the moment, the exchanges appear to be so cordial, but the points to address will be the same, and the voltage might rise again. See you in September.