The Luxembourg Ministry of Health has responded to the doctors’ complaints

Health Minister Martine Deprez has categorically rejected accusations of hypocrisy and a reluctance to engage in dialogue levelled by Chris Roller, President of the Luxembourg Association of Doctors and Dentists (AMMD). The minister had previously come under criticism for the allegedly ineffective work of the specialist groups set up in January to reform the emergency care system, reduce waiting times for appointments and improve access to healthcare services. In response, Deprez emphasised the need to distinguish between the work of these advisory groups and the process of concluding a direct agreement between healthcare professionals and the National Health Fund (CNS).

Following the expiry of the previous agreement between medical practitioners and the health insurance fund, the government was compelled to incorporate its key provisions into the Grand Duke’s regulations. According to the minister, concluding a new, comprehensive agreement remains a key objective for the authorities. An agreement allows for changes to be made swiftly in the event of disputes between doctors and the health insurance fund, whereas amendments to the state regulations require a lengthy legislative process. At the same time, Mme Dépré reassured patients, stating that nothing would change for them, as all mandatory provisions and mechanisms for the reimbursement of treatment costs had been incorporated into the new document in full.

At the same time, the minister commented on the concerns raised by the LSAP, which had expressed regret that the higher charges for first-class hospital care had been retained. Depre explained that the current priority was to codify the existing rules, rather than to revise specific financial terms, adding that this debate has been ongoing for many years. Despite pessimistic statements from the AMMD leadership regarding the impossibility of concluding a new agreement, the Minister of Health remains optimistic and points out that the Social Security Code explicitly obliges healthcare providers to negotiate with the CNS.