the government continues to consult, indicates the Minister for Public Accounts

The Ministry of Health “consult” on medical deductibles, indicated Friday October 27 on France Inter Thomas Cazenave, Minister Delegate for Public Accounts while the government has for the moment decided not to increase medical deductibles as it envisaged within the framework of the budget of the Social Security presented Tuesday. He planned to double the remainder payable by the patient for medications and consultations.

“Since 2008, when you buy a box of medicine, 50 cents are taken from you. But never more than 50 euros in the year. This has never been called into question, neither by the right nor by the left, for more than 20 years now”, underlined the minister. But Thomas Cazenave seems not to completely abandon the idea: “We say: can we increase this deductible by 0.50 euros without affecting people who have long-term illnesses, without affecting children?”

“A system that is not funded is a system in danger”

If this provision does not appear in the Social Security bill, it is because “this does not fall under the Social Security financing law”, specified Thomas Cazenave. “To make a provision like that, there are negotiations, obligatory consultations and the Minister of Health consults and it is his responsibility,” assured the minister.

The government wants to tackle drug spending which represents “35 billion euros” And “increase each year by 4%”. The French are among the largest consumers of medicines in the world: “We need to prescribe better and sometimes fewer medications”, explained Thomas Cazenave. “Prescribing medications to the unit is also an avenue, according to him, to avoid “waste”. The government “requests drug price reductions of one billion euros from manufacturers”he added. “There are shared efforts because a system that is not funded is a system in danger”he assured.