Francois Braun, m.Minister of Health and Prevention, was the guest of “8h30 franceinfo”, Tuesday February 14, 2023. Revaluation of the consultation, fight against smoking, medical appointments not honored, Ehpad, menstrual precariousness… He answers questions from Marc Fauvelle and Salhia Brakhlia.
Revaluation of the consultation: “7,000 euros per year is far from being a mark of contempt”
The increase in the basic price of the consultation, proposed by Health Insurance to general practitioners, “still represents, on average per doctor, 7,000 euros over the year”what “is not negligible”believes François Braun. “It’s far from being a mark of contempt”, he responds to the unions of liberal doctors. The latter consider that the Health Insurance proposal of a basic consultation at 26.50 euros, against 25 euros today, is “a provocation”.
“This is the start of the negotiation”, assures the minister, while the liberal doctors are called to stop work this Tuesday, February 14. Their unions want the basic price of the consultation to be increased by a minimum of 30 euros, or even 50 euros. “What the doctors are asking for, at 30 euros, is not absurd in this discussion”, he says. A significant increase only “for those who are going to commit to what we are putting in place”namely the “territorial responsibility”recalls the Minister.
Fight against smoking: the ban on flavors in electronic cigarettes is a “common sense” measure
Tobacco consumption is on the rise again in France, according to a study published by Public Health France. “Tobacco still kills 45,000 people a year”recalls the Minister of Health who is worried about the use of “puffs”, these disposable electronic cigarettes which target the youngest. “Today we see that these ‘puffs’ are a means of entry into tobacco for young people”, according to the minister. François Braun pleads for the prohibition of flavorings, a measure of “common sense”which needs to be discussed “in a European logic”.
The minister also said he wanted “raise” taxation applicable to tobacco for heating. Another way to fight against the increase in cigarette consumption: “Increase the price of the package according to inflation”. Nevertheless, “There is no increase planned today for the increase in the pack of cigarettes”he says.
Appointments not honored: “We must indeed find a mode of coercion”
The Senate examines Tuesday, February 14 in first reading a bill for the“direct access” to certain paramedical professionals, without going through a general practitioner. In committee, the senators adopted an additional article to find a solution to the problem of medical appointments not honored. The National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam) evokes a cancellation rate of 3.5%. Whether “the discussion is not advanced enough, is not mature enough”the Minister agrees that“we must indeed find a mode of coercion”.
François Braun wants to be cautious, insisting on the fact that a balance is “to find” between penalization and empowerment of patients. “Pay a deposit of 5 euros” like what is done in Germany, “this means that people who do not have these 5 euros will not go to see the doctor”says the minister. “For repeat offenders, we have to find a way to tell them that they are making an appointment with someone who needs it, so we have to do something”he acknowledges. “It’s a balance to be found. I am completely open to discussion so that we can find the best way. And the best way cannot be to rely on Social Security, on the money of the French, these appointments not honored”he adds.
Remuneration of temporary doctors at the hospital: “I want to fight against cannibal temporary work”
“Interim is a good thing when it’s a reasonable interim”, says François Braun, while the salary cap for interim doctors at the hospital will be implemented from April 3. Public hospitals will no longer be able to exceed 1,170 euros gross for 24-hour care. A remuneration “reasonable in relation to the work of a doctor”justifies the minister.
“I want to fight against the interim that I called cannibal”he says. “When in 24 hours, a temporary doctor earns almost twice the salary of a nurse per month, it is unacceptable”, he explains. Anticipating operational difficulties in certain hospitals, the minister asked “to the directors of the regional health agencies to anticipate, to carry out a mapping with all the services, all the hospitals which can be endangered by the application of this law”.
Ehpad: “Health should not be a source of excessive income”
“It is important that we look at this notion of care load in hospital services, but also in nursing homes”, agrees the Minister of Health. The opportunity for François Braun to return to the takeover of the Caisse des dépôts d’Orpea. Suspected of abuse since the revelations of the investigation book The Gravediggers by Victor Castanet, and financial offences, the Orpea group will indeed come under the control of the Caisse des dépôts, allowing it to implement its “transformation”.
This rise of the State in capital will “to change [le groupe Orpea] in terms of transparency, in terms of supervision, it will change in the reflection on these staff in connection with the care load”explains the minister. “Health is not a field like the others, it is not a commercial field. We do not produce cans in health”, he insists. What to expect from a public takeover in private nursing homes? “In any case, everyone must understand that health should not be a source of excessive income”answers François Braun.
Menstrual precariousness: “There must be a reflection around women who cannot access these protections”
“There must be a reflection around women who cannot access these protections”, “we must help them” explains François Braun who does not want a “totally free”. A measure that would not “probably not justified”, according to him. The Minister of Health also returned to free condoms in pharmacies for those under 26, since January 1, 2023. In one month, 2 million free condoms were distributed, compared to 500,000 last year. “There was a real need”assures François Braun who salutes “pharmacists who really play the game”.
Find the entire “8:30 am franceinfo” of Tuesday, February 14, 2023: