Doctors in the balance
On November 4, the Cartel generalists (ASGB, GBO and MoDeS) collectively initiated the termination of the 2024-2025 agreement, one year before its end. At that time, Absym (the majority union representing the majority of specialists) was procrastinating. And as the Cartel has 3 seats out of 12, while the Absym has seven, the Medicomut agreement was not completely doomed.
On November 26, Absym took a further step, asking each doctor to think individually, explaining to them that they have the right to withdraw individually until December 15. But the union does not rule out a collective termination of the agreement, which could occur after December 2, the date initially announced for a presentation of the budget by the Minister of Health Frank Vandenbroucke.
Why wait? “It was dangerous to already ask for a break in the agreement in November, because by asking for a break in November, the break could start during the month of December. And so at that point, doctors would lose their 2024 social status, because they would not be covered all year round.explains Luc Herry, president of ABSyM Wallonia.
Elements can still save the agreement, according to Dr Herry: “Tfirst of all the budget, because in principle the ministers will meet again next week: the general committee and the general council must meet, and if taken, obviously we are not right to break the agreement.” But other subjects preoccupy the Absym: “The pseudocodes were supposed to be determined correctly by the end of this month, and they won’t be.“. These codes were to revalue the consultations of specialists and general practitioners, excluding indexation. With all these reasons, the risk of rupture is therefore significant.
Bad for access to care
The Free mutual societies (Partenamut) regret the development of the situation: “We deplore the call for deconvention. Guaranteeing access to agreed rates for our affiliates is an essential priority for their health. “That’s why we’re putting considerable energy into reaching strong agreements with healthcare providers.”
“As the saying goes, “He who sows the wind reaps the storm.“. This situation results directly from the government’s refusal in current affairs to approve the budget. Without this budget, the sector is plunged into total uncertainty regarding the granting of the index and the growth standard, two fundamental pillars of the agreements. By refusing this budget, the government is encouraging service providers to denounce these agreements. But when you play arsonist, you have to be ready to put out fires.”
In 2025, to know how much you will have to pay for treatment, you may need to ask about prices before making an appointment.
