The doubling of the medical franchise "is not abandoned", assured on franceinfo this Thursday morning the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau. This measure has been discussed for several weeks in the government and aims to make savings on health spending. But it is not present in the Social Security financing bill presented Wednesday.
"Today this decision on drugs is not taken, we have a quantum of savings that we will document gradually," says the minister, ensuring that there will "obviously" be a "debate in parliament" on the subject. "There is an issue of regulation of prescription of drugs," also supported LCI the Minister Delegate for Public Accounts Thomas Cazenave, "in the coming weeks we will be fixed on all the measures".
🔴 Doubling of the medical ➡️ franchise "It is not abandoned," announces the Minister of Health. "My red line is that people already on the ceiling are not affected, do not give up care." #8h30franceinfo pic.twitter.com/hD0fpVUIXc
— franceinfo (@franceinfo) September 28, 2023
The medical deductible is the out-of-pocket expenses paid by the insured persons on each box of medicines purchased. It now amounts to 50 cents and would therefore increase to one euro, which could allow the State to recover between 500 and 600 million euros. Currently, children under 18 years of age, women who are more than six months pregnant and beneficiaries of AME (State Medical Aid) are exempt from this deductible.
"People with long-term illness" not affected
"We touch on extremely sensitive things," concedes Aurélien Rousseau. He assures that his "absolutely red line is that the people who need care the most, especially people with long-term illness, so people who are already at the ceiling of these medical deductibles, are not affected, do not give up care. "
Opponents of this measure point to the additional costs for patients while access to care is already difficult for some of the French. "With this specter of additional costs, we punish them for being sick," said Gérard Raymond, the president of France Assos Santé.
In its 2024 budget, the government aims for a saving of €3.5 billion on health insurance spending, including: €1.3 billion on health products (mainly drug price reductions), €240 million on urban care (especially analysis labs) and €1.25 billion related to the "empowerment" of professionals and patients.
