Francais 
Cart
QuoteDENTAL PROSTHESES: REFUSAL OF THE UNOCAM (ARTICLE LEFIGARO.FR)
Posted by Élodie, on 29/06/2012
Unocam (union of complementary health insurance companies) refused today to commit to a better reimbursement of prostheses and orthodontics for modest incomes, while agreeing to sign a rider to the dentists' convention, according to a deliberation adopted by its board. At the end of the negotiations on April 12, the health insurance had proposed to sign an amendment to the convention of dentists and a protocol agreement to cap the rates of prostheses and orthodontics.
The complementary health insurance companies refused to sign this protocol aiming at a better reimbursement of prostheses and orthodontics for the 3.5 million people eligible for the Aide à la complémentaire santé (ACS) who have a modest income.
Unocam justifies its refusal by referring to another negotiation planned with the State on contracts for ACS beneficiaries.
However, this was one of the major issues of the negotiations initiated in early March by the health insurance, which proposed that dentists make an effort on prices and that complementary health insurance companies better reimburse this care.
Only the National Confederation of Dental Unions (CNSD, majority) had signed the agreement protocol at the end of the negotiations.
However, without the participation of the complementary health insurance companies, the protocol has little chance of being applied.
On the other hand, the complementary health insurance companies agreed to sign the rider concerning the permanence of dental care, the development of prevention among pregnant women, the revaluation of the prevention act (30 euros) or the increase of the consultation of dental surgeons to 23 euros (against 21 currently).
In its deliberation, Unocam specifies that it "will be a signatory" of this text "even if it is not up to the challenges of the dental sector", while deploring "the haste in which this negotiation took place".
The text was signed on April 16 by the CNSD. Another union, the FSDL (Federation of Liberal Dental Unions), refused to sign it, while a third, the UJCD (Union of Young Dental Surgeons), which had slammed the door on negotiations, will officially make its decision on June 21.
This text should come into force as soon as it is published in the Official Journal.
