The agreement signed in in the early hours of the 23rd of December between doctors and health insurance companies contains a number of positive elements, said the insurance company Mutualité chrétienne (MC). “On the 1st of January 2015, tariffs for GPs and specialists will not go up. They will not be indexed“, it added. Originally planned to be put in place for two years, the Medico-insurance 2015 agreement was reduced to a year due to the economic and financial situation.
The cost of a Global Medical File (Dossier Médical Global, DMG) has gone up slightly to 30 euros, same as the cost of GP care for a diabetic patient. But these two things are totally reimbursed, the MC reminds people.
“Funding has been made available to create 15 new GP jobs. From 2016, they should have contracts with hospital Accident and Emergency services and regional councils, to stop people calling on these services when they don’t need to”, a press release said.
The MC refers to several elements, including a 500 euro incentive given to doctors who stick to a contract and don’t ask for overtime, “except when a patient is hospitalized in a private room, or calls on the doctor after 9pm or on a weekend”. A compromise will be found with the representatives of certain specialist to top up their smaller contracts (dermatologists, opticians, gynecologists etc).
The ban on claiming overtime has been extended to shared outpatient hospital rooms, the MC confirmed.
“We are dealing with a limited agreement. But when we take into account the social-economic climate, it’s good news. It means 2015 prices are secure for patients. It also shows the merits of the contact model, which has worked without government intervention in a difficult financial context. Let’s not forget that”, says Jean Hermesse, General Secretary of the MC.
(Source: Belga)
