The French Government intends to penalize with five euros the patients who have arranged a medical appointment and then do not show up for the consultation. The fine, which would be imposed unless notice is given at least 24 hours in advance, would be used to compensate the affected optionals and, at the same time, contribute to decongesting a partly very saturated health system.
Booking an appointment with a specialist requires a lot of patience as consultations are not available and unless you are willing to travel a long distance to a distant doctor, which is difficult for older people, the wait can be months in the case, for example, of dermatologists. Some patients, therefore, periodically check the availability of consultations and make another appointment, but forget to cancel the previous one.
According to the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, who presented the measure when he presented his program to the Parliament after being appointed, the fine obeys the need “to respond to an important concern of the French: the ability to have an appointment in acceptable terms”.
The penalty is a way of making healthcare users responsible, who become aware and show solidarity so that their void can be filled by another patient. It is estimated that every year between 15 and 20 million appointments suddenly become empty.
The penalty has been dubbed “the rabbit tax” because, in colloquial language, poser un lapin (put a rabbit) means to leave it planted, not to show up for an agreed meeting.
Not everyone approves of the punishment measure, which still has to go through the parliamentary process. There is also skepticism about its practical application, as it will depend on the discretion of the doctor, who can accept a last-minute cancellation if he sees it as justified. To apply it, the patient’s bank details must first be obtained.
Although the French authorities boast, in this field and in others, of having one of the best health systems in the world, the reality is different. In France there is nothing like the CAPs in Spain, with generous opening hours and services such as tests, injections and vaccinations.
Everyone must make an appointment with their general practitioner, at their practice or otherwise with a specialist. And here can begin the nightmare of failed attempts, through an internet platform, and very long deadlines to get the visit.
According to Gérard Raymond, president of France Assos Santé, an organization of healthcare users, the penalty is not to make them responsible but to “blame” the patients. A sector of doctors also does not take kindly to a fine which, if imposed, will deteriorate the relationship of trust with patients. They claim that the underlying problem of the lack of doctors must be faced and that, as an alternative to the penalty, the system of sending a message to patients, two days in advance, must be imposed to remind them that they have an appointment.
In Spain, the Minister of Health, Mónica García, ruled out such a measure yesterday. In his opinion, it is better to do “a bit of pedagogy on what a medical appointment means, how difficult it is to have one right now and the value it has”. This week, “the first regulatory steps” will be taken in the public management law of the National Health System, which will put “a bolt” on bad practices.
