What is a doctor contracted sector 1 or 2?

Dimitri Vernet, edited by Yanis Darras 11:46 a.m., December 29, 2022

The "week of all dangers".

The words of the Minister of Health François Braun are released.

In the midst of a triple epidemic, the strike of liberal doctors puts pressure on the hospital system.

Practitioners have been demonstrating for four days, and are demanding in particular the doubling of the price of the consultation to, they say, improve the quality of patient care.

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But to achieve their ends, they must have the approval of the government to pass the consultation from 25 to 50 euros.

And for good reason: doctors are bound by an agreement divided into different sectors.

But how does it work?

Europe 1 takes stock. 

A particularly demanding sector 2

The liberal doctors are divided into two sectors.

Sector 1 is the sector where fee overruns are not possible.

The practitioner is then paid at the rate set by health insurance, 25 euros today, which in return pays for his health or retirement contributions, for example.

But, once they make their choice, doctors cannot change their minds.

Some don't really have a choice and find themselves in this first sector.

Because to access sector 2, you must have a first solid experience in a hospital or as an army doctor.

Consequently, it is therefore often specialists or former heads of clinics who are in sector 2. A sector which makes it possible to apply a free tariff and therefore to charge more for the consultation, thanks in particular to the excess fees.

Sector 1 or 2, the refund will be the same

On the patient's side, whether his doctor is from sector 1 or 2, he will always be reimbursed in the same way, namely 70% of the price of the basic tariff, the additional cost being at the level of the excess fees or the reimbursement varies. depending on mutuals.