Don't go for repeat consultations: what's wrong with the medical payment system in Luxembourg
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The system of direct reimbursement of medical expenses (PID) in Luxembourg operates under strict rules. According to the response of the Minister of Health to a parliamentary enquiry, payment through PID is limited to one consultation with a general practitioner or specialist of the same discipline per day. Exceptions are only possible with the authorisation of the Medical Control Service.
PID uses an automated "rule book" that verifies that reimbursement requests comply with insurance terms and conditions. If a patient sees more than one doctor of the same discipline in a day, the system automatically rejects the second and subsequent consultations. This is not a technical error, but reflects established rules.
Patients facing this situation must pay for services themselves and then request reimbursement. This avoids a complete denial of coverage, but creates additional bureaucratic complexity.
Luxembourg's Minister of Health, Martine Deprez, emphasised that the current procedure meets the legal requirements and no changes to the PID system are required.
