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Tunisian Union of Private Biologists Demands Payment from National Health Insurance Fund
In a statement released last Friday, the Tunisian Union of Private Biologists called on the National Health Insurance Fund (CNAM) to respect its contractual commitments and pay the outstanding debts to medical laboratories without delay. The union indicated that the CNAM has a payment backlog of five to six months towards the laboratories, constituting a repeated violation of the contractual agreement. This situation renders the laboratories unable to fulfill their commitments to suppliers, tax services, and social security, according to the statement. The union estimated that this situation threatens the continuity of the laboratories' activities and their ability to provide quality services to patients.
Impact on Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
The union emphasized that any disruption in the services of private medical laboratories has a direct impact on patient safety and the quality of healthcare, given that medical biology is an essential pillar in the diagnosis, monitoring, and prevention of diseases.
Non-Compliance with Agreement
The union also pointed out the CNAM's non-compliance with the update of the base system for reimbursing medical analysis fees, as stipulated in the framework agreement, in order to align it with the requirements of the new nomenclature of medical procedures published by the Ministry of Health in the Official Journal.
Call to Action
The union called for the need to update this system in accordance with the new nomenclature of medical analyses so that it corresponds to their actual cost. Furthermore, it urged the opening of a complete, serious, and immediate dialogue bringing together all stakeholders in the health and social affairs sectors to find urgent, sustainable, and radical solutions to this crisis.
Expiring Sectoral Agreement
The union recalled that the sectoral agreement concluded with the CNAM expires at the end of the current year and has not yet been renewed. This is despite the union's insistence on continuous communication with the CNAM since the beginning of the year to negotiate its renewal and address other issues raised, with the aim of ensuring the continuity of healthcare services and defending the rights of patients and professionals, in favor of a fair, effective, and sustainable healthcare system that guarantees citizen safety and respects professional rules.
