Doctors who are too generous and teleconsultation are particularly targeted. Health Insurance is implementing a plan to control work stoppage compensation, which is growing rapidly, according to its annual report “expenses and income”. Expenditure on daily allowances excluding Covid increased by 8.2% in 2022, an increase higher than “pre-crisis dynamics”, indicates the 2023 edition of the report, unveiled on Thursday.
In total, the daily allowances paid for sick leave and accidents at work/professional illness amount to 13.5 billion euros in 2022 (excluding maternity leave). “The health crisis has contributed to accelerating a dynamic of expenditure already sustained before the Covid”, underlines the report. The actions implemented by the Sécu plan to achieve savings of 200 million euros in 2023, and 230 in 2024, i.e. nearly 18% of the 1.3 billion in savings announced by the Sécu in its report, all combined expenses.
Doctors summoned to explain themselves
Health Insurance has started to carry out checks on the 1.5% of doctors who issue sick leave in an “atypical” way compared to their colleagues working in similar conditions – that is a thousand practitioners. These doctors are summoned to explain themselves, and may be forced to lower their prescriptions. Interviews with consulting practitioners will be offered to the 10% of doctors who are in the bracket just above the 1.5% most prescribers.
And Health Insurance will have “exchanges” with general practitioners and psychiatrists who frequently issue mental health-related work stoppages. Teleconsultation will be particularly in the sights. Doctors’ unions have already denounced these warnings and controls, MG France seeing in them, for example, a desire “to intimidate health professionals”
Policyholders and employers too
On the social security side, the Sécu also plans “a strengthening of the strategy for controlling work stoppages” by its own services. Here too, the teleconsultation will be particularly monitored. Patients who multiply the work stoppages obtained by teleconsultation with different doctors will receive alert letters, or will be contacted by the Secu.
On the employers’ side, the Sécu will strengthen its information and advice efforts with companies affected by atypical absenteeism.
In 2022, 400 companies were concerned, of which 140 joined the national program for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, and 25 joined an experiment on the prevention of psychosocial risks.