Measures for old age, to facilitate access to contraception, of physiotherapists or orthoptists who will be able to prescribe glasses, measures for complementary health or the payment of alimony, access to contraception, supervision of health centers…. The 2022 Social Security budget was adopted definitively on Monday in the National Assembly.
Here are the main measures of the text, which also confirms the continuation of the Ségur de la Santé, and the increases of several categories of caregivers.
Decreasing Social Security deficit
As the country faces a fifth wave of the Covid-19 epidemic, the deficit is expected at this stage to be 20.4 billion euros in 2022, after 33.5 billion in 2021. The government has forecast in 2022 a budget of 4.9 billion euros for tests (1.6 billion) and vaccination (3.3 billion).
Caregivers upgraded
The Health Segur, which produced its first effects on the 2020 budget, will count for 2.7 billion euros in 2022. Most of the bill is linked to the salary increase of nursing staff (a little over two billion euros). It was extended to 20,000 additional caregivers, employees of establishments for disabled people. A budget of 41 million euros has also been provided for increase the salaries of midwives.
Ehpad, home help, caregivers: 400 million for the elderly
Some 400 million euros of new measures are scheduled for assistance to the elderly in 2022. It is scheduled for January 1 a national “floor price” (and not departmental as until then) of 22 euros per hour of service for home help services, in order to secure their funding and better remunerate employees.
For nursing homes, the presence of caregivers must be reinforced and the increased recruitments. The criteria for benefiting from leave dedicated to caregivers have been expanded, leave will be compensated at minimum wage, so that more people can support an elderly, sick or disabled loved one.
More fully reimbursed drugs
The scope of drugs fully reimbursed by Social Security has been extended for 2022, which represents an additional cost of 370 million euros. The government’s drug budget will therefore increase by more than one billion euros.
Easy contraception, less waiting for ART
The contraception will be available free of charge from January 1 to women aged 18 to 25, a measure budgeted annually at 21 million euros. Several millions must be spent on shorter waiting times after the opening of medically assisted procreation, PMA, to all women.
Consultations with a psychologist reimbursed
For children from 3 years old and adults suffering from depressive or anxiety disorders, of mild to moderate intensity, it is intended reimbursement of eight consultations with a liberal psychologist. The prices for these consultations will be 40 euros for the first debriefing, 30 euros for the following ones, without exceeding fees authorized. The patient must have been referred to the psychologist on medical prescription. The envelope amounts to 50 million euros for next year.
Easier access to orthoptists, physiotherapists and speech therapists
To facilitate access to visual care, the orthoptists can prescribe glasses and lenses, without consultation with an ophthalmologist. This will be possible for 16-42 year olds with poor visual correction.
In six departments and for three years, an experiment will be carried out for direct, non-prescription access to physiotherapists as well as speech therapists working in a coordinated care structure.
Low-cost supervised health centers
The supervision of health centers will be strengthened, with the focus on the drifts of some low-cost dental and ophthalmic centers. Fines are foreseen in the event of breaches, and the revenue generated will help support victims of failing centers.
Supplementary health and alimony
The complementary solidarity health will be paid automatically to beneficiaries of RSA and minimum old age, to facilitate access.
the payment of support newly fixed during 2022 will be systematically done through the Caf, unless parents refuse. A measurement to fight against unpaid bills.
No specific measures for pensions
The government did no specific pension measure presented. From an accounting standpoint, the old age branch of the general scheme should first see a reduction in its deficit (-3 billion euros in 2021 then -1.9 billion in 2022), before it plunges in particular under the effect of the increase in the number of retirees.