Covid-19: Do I have to pay if I call a doctor?
Reader question: You advise calling our doctor for medical advice... Is this covered by the usual healthcare system or is it a paying service?
Calling your doctor is now (since April 4) considered the same as a video-link telemedicine consultation and is therefore 100% covered by the French national healthcare system.
It works as a traditional consultation. The first part will be reimbursed by the Assurance Maladie, and the rest by your mutuelle.
If your doctor accepts third-party payment (tiers-payant), you do not pay anything upfront and the doctor is directly reimbursed within the system.
The health ministry is allowing telephone consultations to be reimbursed during the Covid-19 epidemic, as not everyone has a computer camera or smartphone to make a medical video consultation.
Teleconsultations can now be carried out simply by telephone for people who are sick or likely to be infected with Covid-19.
It can also be used by patients with long-term conditions, for senior citizens over 70 years old and for those living in a medical desert, where there is no doctor.
Telephone consultations are also open to remote monitoring by nurses of patients with Covid-19.
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Patients should call in priority their own GP (médecin traitant), before calling another doctor.
