One in three Catalan doctors works in the private sector, but most do not feel well treated.

BarcelonaOne in three Catalan doctors works in the private healthcare sector, representing approximately 15,300 professionals. This is according to a survey conducted by the Council of Medical Colleges of Catalonia (CCMC) among private healthcare workers to assess the health of a sector that has been growing in recent years, as the number of people with private health insurance is increasing, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In Catalonia, one in three citizens (34%) currently has private health insurance, according to data from the latest Catalan Health Survey (ESCA) by the Department of Health. Despite the high number of professionals working in private healthcare, more than half (64%) feel they are not treated well by insurance companies due to low salaries, difficulties in negotiating, and impersonal treatment, according to the survey results.

In contrast, those surveyed cite the flexible hours and work-life balance offered by the private sector compared to public healthcare, a factor that the CCMC warns could have long-term consequences for Catalan public hospitals. In fact, almost 60% of the doctors surveyed work exclusively in the private sector, and only 40% combine it with the public sector. In these cases, professionals average about 15 hours per week in private practice in addition to their responsibilities in the public healthcare system. By specialty, the most common in Catalan private healthcare are gynecology, orthopedic surgery and traumatology, and family and community medicine.

"This is an aspect that concerns us. Private hospitals can offer these conditions to attract doctors. Perhaps from a remuneration standpoint it's not so excellent and needs improvement, but from a professional standpoint it's very attractive. We believe that, given the shortage of doctors, we will likely see some movement in this area in the coming months or years in Barcelona," said Elvira Obispo (COMB) during the presentation of the survey results this Tuesday. The percentage of dual coverage, that is, people who have a private policy along with the universal public service, has gradually increased since 2019, when it was 28% of the population, and currently the percentage rises to 39% if we look only at the city of Barcelona.

Frozen Salaries

Obispo's insistence on improving the salaries of private healthcare professionals stems from the fact that three out of four doctors in the sector say their income has not increased, and has even decreased, in the last five years. According to the study, during the same period, large insurance companies have been increasing the rates paid by their clients, especially the elderly, but this has not translated into improved compensation for doctors. "Generally, very little of this increase reaches us, and in some cases, nothing at all," stated Pere Torner, president of the private insurance doctors' section of the CoMB (Barcelona Medical Association). According to EFE, insurance companies pay an average of between 15 and 25 euros per visit, and there is no room for negotiation, hence the professionals' discontent. Furthermore, these workers are heavily influenced by insurance companies, as insurance represents, on average, 70% of their income. Therefore, the CoMB (Barcelona Medical Association) has called for a negotiation table between medical associations and insurance companies, with the involvement of the Department of Health, to address improvements in compensation for visits and diagnostic tests, as well as to limit tariff increases for the elderly. They have also requested measures to demand greater transparency from companies offering low-cost policies: "It's a scam, because for 19 euros a month it's impossible to insure anyone's health," Torner declared.