French Doctors, Funds Clash Over Reforms

Tension was growing in France last week in discussions between the leading health funds and the doctors' organizations over the adaptation of the government's health and social security reforms to the framework agreement with the doctors.

One five-hour session ended in acrimony with Jean-Marie Spaeth, the new president of the leading fund, the CNAM, threatening to denounce the existing framework agreement. If the doctors would not negotiate there was no legal basis for agreement, he said.

Specialists were called on to close their practices during November 7-11 by the CSMF, MG-France and FMF doctors' unions.