Health: Why excess fees are increasingly common among specialists

More and more specialist doctors are charging extra fees . More than one in two specialists are now registered in sector 2, and can therefore set their fees freely. This figure was only 37% in 2000.

This is what the High Council for the Future of Health Insurance revealed in a report published this Thursday morning. The total amount of excess fees for specialist doctors reached €4.3 billion last year (up 5% compared to 2019).

And one in four French people believe that the excess fees charged by some doctors are unjustified. Catherine, an art teacher, regularly has to pay excess fees.

“For example, for cataract surgery, it's 1,000 euros. But hey, we're still happy to be in good health. So we accept it and we trust our doctor. But on the other hand, I also understand that there are people who can't afford to pay excess fees,” he points out.

This phenomenon particularly affects older people: people aged 70 to 79 pay twice as much in overcharges as those aged 30 to 39. For an MRI, Eric, 78, was only reimbursed a third of the total cost of the service. "What bothers me is that it's not explained. When it is explained, when there are real reasons, we accept it," he emphasizes.

Vincent Dedes is a sector 2 ophthalmologist. Without the excess fees, he wouldn't be able to continue his practice. "It would even be a waste of money. When I started, biometrics, the calculation of cataract implants, which are now the most common medical procedure, the device cost between 5,000 and 7,000 euros 20 years ago. Today, it costs between 50,000 and 60,000 euros," he emphasizes.

Other health professionals who regularly charge excess fees are physiotherapists .

“We conducted a survey with the order and we know that about one in four physiotherapists overcharge. It's the economic situation that forces them to do this. I'm aware that it's not at all satisfactory for patients, but if I give you an idea of ​​the procedure, it's between 18 and 20 euros for 30 minutes, knowing that we have 48% pre-tax charges. There's almost nothing left. And in 14 years, the procedure has increased by 1.20 euros. So it's becoming more and more difficult for physiotherapists who are turning to overcharging,” Pascale Mathieu, President of the National Council of the Order of Physiotherapists, told RMC.

According to the High Council for the Future of Health Insurance, the increase in excess fees is expected to continue in the coming years.