Ariège: The health insurance’s wishes shed light on its missions

The public pledge ceremony in the premises of the headquarters of the primary health insurance fund (CPAM), Cardié district, in Foix, specified the direction for 2023. The director, Neila Trotabas, and the president, Olivier Hébert, spoke about their new missions, which have revolutionized CPAM’s tasks with with regard to social protection, closeness to policyholders, especially with regard to prevention, screening and monitoring of long-term pathologies.

Sygesikring has two main goals in 2023 with all its partners: to guarantee access to care throughout the department, to massively develop preventive measures to reduce the department’s lag on the most important indicators of public health.

The fight against medical deserts, with the arrival of medical assistants, the new organization of coordinated care, the use of health data, the financing of telemedicine will also be developed in 2023.

Fight medical deserts

CPAM will strive to develop prevention, cancer screening, adherence to the vaccination schedule, surveillance of mothers and children, combating chronic diseases, strengthening proximity to the most remote population groups socially or geographically. The parking of the mammobile (screening for breast cancer) in 2022 in Foix, Pamiers, Tarascon was also crowned with success.

But health insurance has a price. In 2022, CPAM paid out 526 million euros, i.e. 3,668 euros per insured. Ariège concerns 143,410 policyholders and beneficiaries of 1,226 healthcare professionals. The priority is therefore to ensure access to care in the ward area by developing the recruitment of medical assistants for administrative tasks and simple medical procedures, which constitute a lever for care by freeing up the necessary time for the doctor. Thus, 7,948 patients will be able to benefit from a general practitioner in 85% of the department’s cantons. This profession will be massively developed during the first quarter of 2023.

The creation of “Multidisciplinary Health Centres”, which constitute teamwork in the same geographical area, promotes access to care. There are currently 19 in Ariège. 32% of healthcare professionals work in an MSP. This number will be constantly increasing.
Mapping of MSPs shows their density in the south, west and also in the east. Result: Haute Ariège and Donezan are relatively poor, a problem that CPAM, which is very involved in the local care processes, is committed to.

The latter is also developing massive preventive measures, increasing the number of “health, women” days, with in particular the mammobile, for which significant funds have been obtained for this rotation. The link with the Professional Territorial Health Society (CPTS) contributed greatly to this call for screening in a major initiative by CPAM, which contacted the 7,565 insured people eligible for the scheme over three days.

212 mammograms performed

In total, 1,055 contacts were made, 212 mammograms performed, of which 9% were positive at first treatment. In relation to screening, there is also diabetes, asthma, screening of the cervix and large intestine and when returning home after a hospital stay. There are three health examination centers that offer free checks, located in Pamiers, Lavelanet and Saint Girons. Their location makes it easy for policyholders to move around.

The health insurance is thus an important partner for public health and missions that have expanded over the years. Previously, these were only limited to the payment of benefits paid out by the general social security scheme. André Larroque was also one of the founders of the current social security system by decrees issued in 1945.