The agreement was terminated by doctors at the end of October. In a TV interview two weeks ago, the health minister said the agreement is ready and all that is missing is a signature. However, according to doctors, a deal is far from being reached.
Dr Chris Roller, AMMD president, says there have been constructive discussions between doctors and the CNS, and that there is general agreement on what should be included. However, progress is currently blocked.
“We are simply at the point where we can no longer move forward with the matter itself and now need adaptations to the legal framework at political level. We are waiting for political action, but so far there has been no real feedback on that end,” the president shared.
One of the main demands is a revaluation of tariffs. The High Council for Social Security has ruled that doctors will not receive any increase. The minister said in a TV interview that politics had nothing to do with the decision: “That is a decision by a court. We have no control over it. The court has now made the call.”
However, the AMMD president takes a more nuanced view, noting that Martine Deprez and the CNS had effectively recommended to the court that doctors receive a zero percent increase, citing alleged abuse, fraud and excessive activity. As there was no longer sufficient funding within the CNS, a zero percent increase had been recommended, which the court subsequently followed. He added that this therefore also constituted a political recommendation, which they were not happy with.
The AMMD president also rejected allegations of fraud and abuse, arguing that the CNS does not take rising healthcare demands into account.
He said that, for the CNS, these were merely numbers, and that it looked at the figures and, if thresholds were exceeded, concluded that what was considered useful and necessary had been exceeded without understanding the correct medical recommendations as there are no medical officers within the CNS with the relevant expertise.
Rising healthcare costs, he argues, are not a sign of abuse. Instead, updated medical recommendations are leading to earlier detection of diseases, resulting in more tests and analyses. Chris Roller cites an example from urology, where the European Society of Urology recommends further investigation at an earlier stage if certain values are elevated:
“The recommendations are becoming broader, meaning the threshold for conducting an MRI is becoming lower. As a result, we are carrying out more MRIs and screenings. Later, we may be accused of ordering too many MRIs, but in reality we are simply following recommendations in order to detect diseases earlier,” he explained.
Beyond financial and professional concerns, the future of the healthcare system is also at stake. Doctors warn that Luxembourg risks losing competitiveness if conditions do not improve. Further discussions therefore appear necessary, including with the prime minister.
Doctors requested a meeting in a letter at the beginning of the year. The prime minister responded that this could take place in the spring, but the AMMD says it is still waiting and until then remains disappointed with the government’s policy.
