2023-12-15 15:42:00
LWill the increase really be painless for patients? According to our colleagues at Parisian, the management of Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) has decided to implement a single rate for single rooms from January. The decision was taken during a meeting of the group’s board of directors at the end of November. In addition to simplifying patient billing, this reform might bring several million euros into the coffers of Parisian hospitals, which are heavily in debt.
Until now, there were two offers and, therefore, two prices when a patient wanted to be in a single room during hospitalization. For the first, it is a classic version with a single room priced at 50 euros per day. The patient might also choose a “premium” room providing greater comfort. In this case, the price is 70 euros. This system will therefore be stopped from January 1, 2024. Thanks to this change, the AP-HP hopes to collect around 5 million euros in additional revenue for the year 2024. A drop of water in the ocean of deficit of the group which has a debt, in 2023, of 400 million euros.
To explain its choice, the AP-HP highlights a simplification of “billing” and “information to patients”. During the management meeting in November, the project leaders justified this increase measure. “The prices charged by the AP-HP (50 euros on average) are significantly lower than those charged by private establishments […]. It exists […] a margin of increase which respects the reimbursement ceilings of mutual insurance companies and therefore maintains the principle of zero out-of-pocket costs for patients. »
Will the cost of mutual insurance increase?
Not surprisingly, mutual insurance companies do not welcome this announcement with a big smile. “It is regrettable that the single room is the budgetary adjustment variable for hospital establishments,” explains the French Mutuality to our colleagues. Especially since they might very well increase their prices for the year 2024 (and for 2025) due to this decision by the AP-HP.READ ALSO Access to care for all, a right under threat?
A fear shared by some experts. “This increase is likely to weigh more heavily on those who are no longer active,” judges Carine Milcent, research director at the CNRS, with the Parisian. However, unlike employees, these “inactive” people are the only ones to pay their complementary mutual insurance when the active people are supported by companies.
Alongside the Paris Hospitals, we also ensure that patients who do not have mutual insurance will not be billed. However, they will be able to access individual rooms only within the limits of available places, it is explained.
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