the government takes the plunge

From spring, the amount payable by the patient for a box of medicines or paramedical procedures will increase from 50 cents to 1 euro. A roadmap details this increase confirmed by Emmanuel Macron during his press conference.

One euro not reimbursed on each box of medicine. Faced with the deterioration of Social Security accounts, the government has decided to make those insured pay a little more for their healthcare consumption, to the great dismay of patient associations.

From “end of March”, the deductible (amount remaining payable by the patient, not reimbursed by Health Insurance or complementary health insurance) on boxes of medicines and paramedical procedures will increase from 50 cents to 1 euro, according to the roadmap announced Monday 22 January by the ministries concerned. That on medical transport will also be doubled, to 4 euros. And by the beginning of June, “flat rate contributions” (same principle as the franchise) on medical consultations and procedures and on medical biology examinations and analyzes will also be doubled, to 2 euros.

During his press conference on January 16, Emmanuel Macron defended a doubling of medical deductibles. The government had been discussing the measure for months, but it did not want to decide during the debates on the 2024 Health budget. According to government estimates communicated in the fall, during the debates, the measure should offer 800 million Euros saved in Social Security funds.

Minors and pregnant women exempt

On the other hand, the government maintains each of the two annual ceilings at 50 euros, one for franchises, the other for fixed contributions. The objective is to “protect”in particular, people affected by serious pathologies and who need numerous treatments. “Patients with the highest use of care, whose deductible amounts are already at the ceiling of 50 euros, will not pay more”underlines the government.

The executive also reminds that deductibles and fixed reimbursements are not applicable “to minors, to women who benefit from maternity insurance” And “to beneficiaries of complementary solidarity health insurance”, with particularly modest incomes.

A “double penalty” for patient associations

However, the federation of patient associations France Asso Santé and the main union of general practitioners, MG France, have criticized these decisions, because they particularly fear their effect on the most precarious people. According to the president of France Asso Santé, “this is not how we are going to empower patients and people who need care”. Questioned on franceinfo the day after the press conference of the Head of State, Gérard Raymond spoke of “double punishment: being sick and paying twice as much” and even describes this measure as “knife strike”.

“The chronically ill, the elderly, all reach the ceiling very quickly” and “will get there even faster by doubling the stake”, Jean-Christophe Nogrette, the deputy secretary general of MG France, denounced, for his part, Monday, to AFP. “One hundred euros per year [si les deux plafonds sont atteints] on a small pension, it’s not negligible”he said.