The LSAP and ADR asked the health minister to declare her position on the cancellation of the agreement between the AMMD and the CNS.
The healthcare system under accords still exists and has not been called into question by any political representative, minister Martine Deprez told the committee. This remains the case despite the failed negotiations.
"It is out of the question for this government to query the agreed system. This is in conjunction with all representatives of the Chamber," she said. In November last year, the Chamber unanimously declared its support for the current conventional Luxembourg healthcare system in a public session.
Naturally there are gaps in the system, the minister admitted, such as patients not receiving treatment as quickly as they should. But she said, despite the Ministry's doors being open, no one was talking about these. In response to the AMMD's accusations of hypocrisy, Deprez returned the ball to their court and said in order to make progress, one needs a partner who would join the discussions.
The ADR's Alexandra Schoos asked how the Ministry hoped to get out of this dead end, and how willing the AMMD would be to join discussions. She said that the AMMD's Chris Roller had declared the conventional healthcare model in Luxembourg to be over. The ADR is glad that discussions might continue, but would wait and see what came of them. Schoos said she felt the fundamental issue went beyond any agreements, and that Luxembourg's healthcare system was facing structural challenges. While two-tier medicine might not be desired officially, it was already a reality, she added.
The Left's Marc Baum said it could not be the case that the government might cave to the demands of "a handful of doctors" and turn the entire healthcare system upside down. The opposition MP questioned how representative of the profession the AMMD really is, and said there were doctors who did not feel represented by the association. The manner in which the AMMD has behaved amid discussions and negotiations for the agreement is particularly vexing in Baum's eyes. He accused the AMMD of holding politics and the whole system hostage in order to fulfil the CSV and the DP's election promises, and that this could not be permitted.
The LSAP said the opportunity should have been taken to discuss how the supplement for "first class" in hospital would be handled under new regulations. The supplement is often not worth it, said former health minister Mars di Bartolomeo. He accused the current government of talking too much, but implementing too little in terms of healthcare, resulting in the doctors' anger. But he did criticise the AMMD's abandonment of negotiations. In general, di Bartolomeo believes there need to be more discussions about the National Health Fund, than tariffs and tariff autonomy.
The DP's Carole Hartmann said procedures still need further discussion. Much like the tariff fixing for psychotherapy, the procedures in healthcare are difficult to cover, and should be legitimised by a Grand Ducal regulation. The entire negotiations have also led to discontent among doctors and patients. The coalition agreement itself stipulates that various methods in the CNS and the nomenclature should be revised. Hartmann did not give a clear answer on how to approach this discussion in the current toxic climate.
