Following a move or lack of affinities, you may have to change your attending physician. This approach is possible, provided that a procedure is followed. Find out what it takes to make a doctor change. Also follow our advice to make the right choice in terms of practitioner. And we also tell you everything about the reimbursement of care in the event of an absent doctor, replacement, medical visit to the holiday destination, etc.
Summary
How to choose your attending physician? Criteria and Conditions.
First, know that you are free to choose your doctor, whether general practitioner or specialist. Anyone over the age of 16 can freely choose a general practitioner, with their consent. And for children under 16, at least one of the two parents chooses the attending physician.
To avoid having to change it, it is better to choose the doctor who knows you best. But there may be other selection criteria: geographical proximity to your home or place of work, affinities, etc.
In any case, note that this is an important choice and one that should not be taken lightly. Indeed, the attending physician is the one who ensures the regular follow-up of your care and facilitates the coordination with the specialists that you may have to consult. And in the event of a long illness, the attending physician is responsible for setting a reimbursed care protocol.
Next, note that the chosen doctor can:
- be a generalist or a specialist;
- be contracted or not;
- practice alone, in a practice, in a health center, in a hospital, etc. ;
- be located near your home, your place of work, etc.
Finally, if the doctor refuses to become your practitioner, you can contact the conciliator of your primary health insurance fund. Contact your health organization, which will send you the contact details of the mediator.
What’s the point of having a doctor?
In summary, the main missions of a general practitioner consist of:
- to ensure a first level of recourse to care;
- coordinate medical follow-up;
- manage the medical file;
- establish a care protocol in the event of long-term illness;
- ensure personalized prevention.
How to declare your attending physician? The procedure to follow.
At the doctor’s office, with your agreement, the attending physician can make the declaration online. It is convenient and quick. During a consultation at his office and on presentation of your vital card, the doctor makes the declaration by sending it directly to your health insurance fund.
Thus, you have no form to fill out or mail to send to the Health Insurance. Your statement of choice of treatment doctor is immediately recorded by your fund.
But you also have the option of downloading the Cerfa form n°12485*03 from the ameli.fr website or picking up a copy from your cash desk. Complete the document jointly with your attending physician before sending it by post to the health organization on which you depend.
How to change treating doctor? Approaches.
Changing your treating doctor is not a very complicated process. Simply fill out a new Attending Physician Declaration form. The procedure is carried out with the doctor you have chosen, in his office. The process can be done online to make it faster. But you also have the option of sending the form by post to your health insurance fund. The document can be collected from your cash register or online, on the ameli.fr website.
The new statement from the attending physician is necessary to trigger the reimbursement of your healthcare costs and the proper monitoring of your care pathway. You do not have to provide any justification for your decision. Moreover, the change of attending physician can be done at any time, when you wish.
If this change of doctor worries you or bothers you, know that the former general practitioner will not be informed directly of your choice. He will realize this during the annual dispatch of his list of subscribers by Social Security.
Nevertheless, it is advisable to notify your former attending physician so that he can send your medical file to your new practitioner. This will ensure better care and follow-up care.
Am I reimbursed if I do not choose a treating doctor?
Why do I have to declare a treating doctor? Is it mandatory to be reimbursed effectively? These questions deserve to be asked if you are one of those French people who rarely consult a general practitioner or specialist, or who often move house.
Be aware that since the 2000s, declaring an attending physician is mandatory. Those who do not are not properly reimbursed by their health insurance organization.
Thus, to avoid losing money in a course of care, it is essential to have made a declaration of attending physician. If you need to get an appointment with a specialist, it is helpful to go through your chosen doctor to get a prescription.
What happens when I consult another doctor regarding reimbursements?
If your attending physician is not available and you consult his replacement, this has no impact on your treatment plan. You will normally be reimbursed by your health insurance fund. Thus, as a patient, you can consult another general practitioner without suffering a reduction in reimbursement. Beforehand, the doctor must enter the code « MTR » in the electronic care sheet or tick the box « Replaced attending physician » on the paper care sheet.
You can also consult another doctor during your business trips or on vacation, if the situation requires it. You will not suffer a reduction in reimbursement, provided that the doctor enters the code “MTH” or ticks the box “Outside habitual residence” on the treatment sheet.
