Subject of recurring controversy, State medical aid (AME) to foreigners in an irregular situation is an "
incompressible
"
expense
, said the Minister of Health Olivier Véran, in response to a right-wing member denouncing a policy "
too generous
".
Read also: Covid-19: time to take stock ... Olivier Véran responds to the accusations
The scene, a great classic of Parliament, was played Wednesday evening in the finance committee of the National Assembly, as part of the "
spring of the evaluation of public policies
". Rapporteur on the “
health
”
credits
of the State budget, Véronique Louwagie (LR) first judged that “
the offer of care offered in France to foreigners in an irregular situation is very generous, and even too generous
”. Adding the AME and a dozen other devices, mainly financed by the Social Security, the deputy estimated the total cost at at least 1.5 billion euros in 2020. Too expensive for Véronique Louwagie, who took up the demands habits of the right in favor of an AME "
refocused on urgent care
"And a general turn of the screw in order to"
dissuade an irregular immigration for care
"of which it did not specify the extent.
Minister Véran's reply was quick: "
In any case, these people will be treated
" because "
the bulk of the AME is in distress situations
". More than 383,000 foreigners benefited from it last year, at a cost of around 900 million euros, he said, adding that "
the vast majority of these expenses are necessary and incompressible in the current state. of our country
”. "
It is only the recognition by the State of the fact that care is granted to people who (it) need, it is the principle of reality
", he insisted. Someone has to pay, moreover "
every time you cut corners on the AME (...) it considerably increases the debt of the hospitals,
who treat the eye ”.
However, "
there are undoubtedly abuses of rights
" and "
problems with certain countries, in particular in Eastern Europe
", which "
must be looked at with clarity
". "
But this is not the rule
", he assured, uttering in a final tirade: "
We do not cross the Mediterranean on a makeshift boat because there is the AME and the care for diabetes will not be expensive
”.
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