Change in prices in sight in public and associative accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people (Ehpad).
This is one of the flagship measures of the “Aging well”
bill
relating to old age and autonomy, which was adopted in the National Assembly last week and which must be definitively voted on this Wednesday in the Senate. .
The principle is simple: it would involve modulating
“the average daily rate relating to accommodation”
in establishments fully or partially authorized for social assistance,
“according to the resources of residents under conditions set by decree in the Council of State.
And this, only
“for residents not covered by departmental social assistance”
.
A concrete measure in a context where
“many nursing homes are in great financial difficulty”
and
“are already implementing a modulation of prices according to residents”
, underlines MP Laurence Cristol, rapporteur of the bill, who explains that she wants
“ supervise the practice”
.
Before launching:
“To the extent that the practice already exists, we might as well regulate it so that it is as ethical as possible”
, whereas this applied until today in total legal vagueness.
The challenge, according to the elected official, is to ensure that Ephads can
“continue to offer the same quality services”
, even if it means increasing prices, but without putting
“residents and their loved ones in financial difficulty”. »
.
For Annie Vidal, who is promoting the “Aging Well”
bill
alongside her colleague Laurence Cristol, it is far too strong to talk about
“taxing the rich”
.
“There will be just two rates”
, explains the MP, with a rate
“for people eligible for social assistance for accommodation”
, who – as she is keen to point out –
“have very few resources”
and
“ are not at all able to finance a place in Ephad”
and another which will remain
“lower than elsewhere”
for unauthorized people.
“The gap between the two will be regulated and cannot go beyond a limit set by decree (...) under the responsibility and control of the department
,” adds the elected official.
In addition, according to her, it is very important to remember that these
“new”
prices
“will only apply to new residents”
, and not to residents currently in nursing homes for whom
“the price conditions will remain those applied to their entry”
.
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“Create new room for maneuver”
This new measure
“responds to a need for an overall balanced budget for public establishments”
which have been suffering terribly for several years
“given their low daily rates applied”
, continues Annie Vidal.
The latter believes in fact that these prices,
“much lower”
in public establishments
“than elsewhere”
are responsible for the difficulty they have in maintaining their
“financial balance”
.
A measure also welcomed by the French Hospital Federation (FHF) representing public establishments, welcoming this possibility offered to authorized nursing homes
“to adjust their prices for users not covered by social assistance”
,
“in reasonable proportions and depending on resources
.
And if this measure
"does not in itself constitute a response to the financial difficulties encountered by nursing homes"
, it
"will provide the concrete possibility of ultimately creating new room for maneuver"
, continues the FHF, which nevertheless recalls that it remains to define the conditions of application of this measure
“by decree”.
However, many experts explain that it will be necessary to go even further and completely overhaul this system which is based on rules decided at a time when the issues were not the same, particularly given the fact that older people didn't live that long.
“We must anticipate and review the entire Old Age policy
,” warns Arnaud Robinet, the president of the FHF, calling for
“emergency measures to unlock new resources”
for nursing homes to be put in place.
“It is crucial to adopt a landmark law to finally build a society of longevity.
This transformation will notably involve indexing revenues in the public sector to changes in expenditure and, in the long term, through a new financing model
,” he concludes.