The National Assembly must begin examination of the new PLFSS on Tuesday, but the government could have the text adopted quickly through 49.3.
After the State budget, it is the turn of that of the Social Security to occupy the National Assembly. The deputies must begin the examination, Tuesday, October 24, of the social security financing bill (PLFSS) presented by the government. The executive’s stated objective: to make savings, after years of increased spending, caused in particular by the crisis linked to Covid-19. The text thus provides 3.5 billion euros in savings on expenditure of the health sector in 2024.
The project crystallizes oppositions, from the National Rally to La France insoumise. The PLFSS is not “not sincere”declares the environmentalist deputy Sébastien Peytavie to AFP, while his Les Républicains counterpart Yannick Neuder judges that “the account is not there”. A situation which should deprive the government of a majority, and push it, once again, to resort to article 49.3 of the Constitution to have the text adopted. Barring a twist, the bill should therefore emerge almost unchanged from its passage through the Assembly. Franceinfo details the measures that will have the most impact on the daily lives of French men and women if adopted.
Condoms will become free for those under 26
This was a promise from Emmanuel Macron in December 2022, but its implementation since January only concerns two brands of condoms. The government’s bill plans to extend it to all brands and models. Article 18 of the text, available on the National Assembly website, should allow “L“100% coverage by compulsory health insurance and third-party payment of costs related to the purchase of condoms for young people under 26 years of age”. The deputies adopted in committee an amendment extending this free provision to female condoms, which could be taken up by the government.
Some reusable menstrual protection products will be reimbursed
To combat menstrual poverty, the government wants to introduce reimbursement “protections reusable sanitary products for all women under 26 years old”, specifies the explanatory memorandum of article 19 of the bill. Social security will cover 60% of the price of menstrual cups and period panties, the rest can be reimbursed by mutual insurance. The PLFSS provides that the measure also applies to “beneficiaries of complementary solidarity health insurance, without age limit”. The Ministry of Economy and Finance believes that the decision could “concern 6.7 million people in 2024”.
Medicines can be delivered individually by pharmacies
The government has prepared several measures to address the risks of drug shortages. Article 33 thus provides for authorizing the delivery of single antibiotics in pharmacies, and for “limit or prohibit the prescription of certain medications affected by [une] supply disruption”. The aim is to avoid “pphenomena of requests for medication prescriptions to build up precautionary stocks at home”explains the explanatory memorandum. As “exceptional and temporary”in the event of a shortage, article 32 further provides that pharmacies may be authorized by the Minister of Health to dispense “special hospital preparations”.
The papillomavirus vaccination campaign will be financed
Article 17 of the PLFSS organizes the financing of the national free vaccination campaign against human papillomavirus (HPV), which began in September in colleges. “Vaccination will be fully covered by health insurance”, specifies the bill. The vaccination campaign concerns the 800,000 students aged 11 to 14 years old and enrolled in fifth grade this year, and is carried out on a voluntary basis.
Work stoppage controls will be strengthened
The government wants to strengthen controls on sick leave, in the face of what it describes as “the very strong dynamic of the expenditure of daily allowances”. Article 27 therefore provides “collective accountability measures for prescribing professionals and insured persons receiving sick leave”. Concretely, the text strengthens the means of control of health insurance for “avoid any work stoppage that is not, or no longer, medically justified”. The executive also intends to make it impossible to prescribe a work stoppage lasting more than three days or a renewal via teleconsultation. Article 28 provides that it is possible to override this rule if the work stoppage is signed by the attending physician, or if the patient’s state of health does not allow him to travel. These new provisions focus criticism from the oppositions.
Access to complementary solidarity health insurance will be made easier
The government wants to make complementary solidarity health insurance (C2S) more accessible, intended for precarious people and offering coverage for routine care without advance costs or excess fees. Article 21 thus provides for the establishment “of a presumption of right to the C2S aith financial participation for most beneficiaries” benefiting from social minimums, specifies the administration on its site. In practice, when these people ask “the allocation of the social minimum to which [elles] have the right”, health insurance funds “will send them a letter offering them the opportunity to benefit from paid C2S, without them having to declare their resources”details the government platform.