Cessation of activity
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Preparing for your succession
As soon as you form the project of a cessation of activity, talk about it with your Order or your regional health agency in order to organize your succession as well as possible. The cessation of your liberal activity, whether it is a main, secondary or ancillary activity, whether temporary or permanent, must be declared to your Departmental Council of the Order.
You do not have to take any action with the Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie) : the report of cessation of activity is sent directly, via the shared directory of health professionals, to the Health Insurance fund of your place of practice.
Our advice to prepare for your departure :
During your exercise, by welcoming interns, collaborators and replacements, you build up a “pool” of professionals likely to take over from you.
Once the transfer is concluded, you must discuss with your patient, reassure them and encourage them to have confidence in their successor, while respecting their freedom of choice.
Similarly, it is desirable that you introduce the newcomer to your network of nearby professionals (pharmacists, doctors, liberal nurses, care network, physiotherapists, etc.)
The earlier you prepare for your retirement, the easier it will be for you to act on its amount and on your departure date. The request for retirement from the independent pension fund must be made within 6 months preceding the chosen effective date.
Think about it :
- If you exercised your liberal activity in a company bringing together several doctors or dental surgeons (SEL, SCP, etc.) and your cessation of activity leads to the closure of the company: it is up to each of the other partners to approach the ‘Order, then Health Insurance to declare their new situation.
- If you exercised while having one (or more) liberal collaborator: this one must approach the Order, then the Health Insurance to declare his new situation, the contract of collaboration being rendered null and void by the cessation of your activity liberal.
- It is advisable to obtain information from the Departmental Council of the Order or from legal professionals. Model transfer contracts are generally available on the website of the Departmental Council of the Order.
Continuing your activity
Combining employment and retirement is the possibility for a retired liberal doctor to continue or resume a liberal medical activity during his retirement.
The purpose of this system is to promote the continuation of liberal practice after the age of 62 in a context of restricted medical demography. It allows self-employed doctors to benefit from their retirement rights while continuing to exercise a self-employed activity.
Combination employment and retirement
The increase in the threshold for exemption from contributions to the supplementary old-age benefits scheme (PCV, ex-ASV) is part of the measures of the healthcare access plan aimed at facilitating liberal practice in fragile territories, characterized by a medical offer insufficient or difficulties in accessing care. It is aimed at retired doctors who wish to pursue an activity.
Who can benefit from this exemption ?
Physicians who meet three conditions may benefit from this exemption:
- practice in areas characterized by an insufficient supply of care or by difficulties in accessing care;
- exercising in combination with employment and retirement, i.e. after having liquidated pension rights;
- provide evidence of earned income from the previous year below the exemption threshold.
Practitioners must expressly request their exemption from the independent pension fund for doctors in France (CARMF).
What is the exemption threshold ?
The common law exemption threshold is €12,500 of annual income from 2018, which corresponds to 500 general medical consultations.
For practitioners working in under-resourced areas and combining employment and retirement, this threshold is raised to €40,000 in annual income, which represents 1,600 general medicine consultations.
What are the formalities to be completed ?
- Inform the CDOM of the maintenance or the resumption of your liberal activity (reduced contribution for maintenance of activity after retirement).
- It is strongly recommended that you maintain your professional indemnity insurance when you retire. Indeed, the possible future resumption of a liberal activity would then require the establishment of a new contract with an increased insurance premium due to the presumed risk related to age.
- Inform the CARMF: the CARMF will proceed with the reaffiliation of the private physician to the Basic, Complementary and ASV schemes.
- In the event of a resumption of activity, take all the usual steps with the organizations concerned (URSSAF, CPAM, etc.).
