2023-12-05 05:38:00
Frightening figures: one in four Belgians gives up treatment due to lack of money!
Problem is, some dentists and orthodontists now refuse to treat some of these patients. If the phenomenon is more anchored in Flanders than in Wallonia and Brussels, it is starting to be visible in the south of the country.
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There are procedures for which reimbursements are no longer at all related to technique and costs.
“It is a legal provision taken at the end of 2022 but it is not yet applicable, there will still be discussions,” says Michel Devriese, dentist and active member of the Society of Dental Medicine. Belgian. We want to call for calm with this subject but we warned the minister that imposing prices without any negotiation or consultation with the sector was not the right way to do things. It should not be surprising that there are reactions in the profession, it is legitimate. This is a populist measure for electoral purposes, we do not decree that we will treat patients at a certain price. There are procedures for which reimbursements are no longer at all related to technique and costs. There is a risk of serious consequences; we are calling for Belgian-style consultation with all partners. We cannot follow the diktat of the minister who wishes to force his way through this issue.”
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In a few months, 200 dentists left the convention rates
According to the Belgian Society of Dental Medicine, just under 60% of Belgian dentists charge capped fees. It is therefore increasingly difficult to find a dentist providing dental care at an affordable price. According to the latest figures obtained by the association, 200 French-speaking dentists left the convention rates between 2022 and 2023.
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“This is unheard of,” he laments. And all this is linked to the attitude of Minister Vandenbroucke, he pushes many dentists to leave the convention. The other problem is that we have dentists who commit to rates for the whole year, but it is no secret that inflation is very high. It is obviously untenable to have prices fixed without possible indexation during the year. This also explains why we lost so many contracted dentists this year, we really fear that we will end up with one medicine for the rich and another for the poorest.”
For its part, Médecins du Monde recently launched a petition to draw attention to the importance of more affordable dental care for all, and calls for the development of a policy aimed at encouraging dentists to agree in this way. than better reimbursement for dental care.
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