From December 22, a standard visit to the general practitioner will cost €30, compared to €26.50 currently. This increase concerns the amount of consultations also concerns specialists. Overview.
Six months after its signature in June, the new medical agreement, the result of tough negotiations between Health Insurance and the unions of private doctors, comes into force this Sunday, December 22. It brings to fruition a batch of new measures aimed at “consolidating private medicine and improving access to care”, according to Health Insurance. Among these measures, we find in particular significant increases in the prices of certain consultations.
The most symbolic, the change from a classic visit to the general practitioner from €26.50 to €30. This increase was a strong demand from doctors' unions to deal with inflation but also to create “a shock of attractiveness” and encourage young doctors to settle down. Who will pay? Not the patient, at least directly. Health Insurance will always cover 70% of the consultation, mutual insurance 30%. But they have already announced an increase in their contributions in 2025.
A twofold increase in pediatrics
If this new rate applies to the million daily consultations with general practitioners, a multitude of other increases for sector 1 specialists, that is to say without fee overruns, will take place at the end of December , in January and the middle of next year.
Thus, the costs of pediatrician consultations for a child under 2 years old increase from €38.50 to €39, and will reach €40 in July 2025; for a child aged 2 to under 6, the price increases from €33.50 currently to €35. In addition, technical acts are revalued, as are occasional consultant opinions (APC).
Psychiatrists, neurologists, geriatricians…
The coordinated consultation with the psychiatrist, neuropsychiatrist or neurologist, set at €51.70, increases to €55 to reach €57 in July 2025. The price of a consultation in child psychiatry (extended up to 25 years) will reach €75. The coordinated consultation with the medical gynecologist, set at €33.50, increases to €37 in December 2024 to reach €40 in July 2025. The coordinated consultation with the geriatrician, set at €31.50, increases to €37 and will rise to €42 in July 2025. Finally, the melanoma screening consultation with the dermatologist, set at €47.50 €, increases to €54 in December, then to €60 in July 2025. Endocrinologists also see their remuneration increase.
Concerning special cases, the treating doctor now has the possibility of billing the Health Insurance for a long consultation at €60 for the elderly and disabled in three specific cases (within the limit of once a year for each situation). Furthermore, specialists contacted by general practitioners as part of a one-off consultant opinion (APC) will see their remuneration increase from €56.50 to €60.
A significant additional cost but potential savings
For Health Insurance, the additional cost will be €950 million in 2025 and €1.6 billion over a full year (€1.9 billion including the participation of complementary health insurance). But these new measures, which also aim to reduce medical deserts, set out other objectives. An action program “on the relevance and quality of care”aims to reduce the prescription of work stoppages or to move towards a “just prescription for everyday medical devices”to fight against antibiotic resistance (by prescribing fewer antibiotics), limit polypharmacy or even work on the proper use of analgesics. Work which should enable Health Insurance to make savings.
