the government’s backpedaling is “excellent news”, rejoices France Assos Santé

“That’s excellent news”, commented on Tuesday October 24 on france info Catherine Simonin, member of the France Assos Santé office, after the government’s decision not to increase medical deductibles as announced in the morning exclusively by franceinfo. This project, envisaged as part of the Social Security budget presented on Tuesday, planned to double the remainder payable by the patient for medications and consultations. According to franceinfo, the government is renouncing this measure for the moment.

The backpedaling of the executive delights Catherine Simonin because, according to her, adopting the increase in deductibles would have had the effect “to keep certain average French people away from healthcare” because “all people above the social thresholds would have seen their remaining dependents increase”. This increase would also have concerned “people with long-term illness”, continues this administrator of the League against Cancer, whose “one hundred percent of drugs” are currently being reimbursed. Catherine Simonin also recalls that the specialists consulted in the context of long-term conditions “have overcharges” which also remain the responsibility of the patients.

“Conditional prescription” to reduce pressure on doctors

“Patients don’t take medications for fun,” adds Catherine Simonin, who advocates, rather than increasing deductibles, “sensitization” prescribers. “Doctors, nurses, emergency doctors” should, according to her, “prescribe only what is necessary for the patient”. “We are the leading prescriber of paracetamol at European level”, she recalls. The representative of France Assos Santé also encourages “conditional prescription”, which prescribes a medication to be administered only when necessary. This type of prescription would make it possible to reduce the “pressure” placed on their doctor by certain patients who are afraid of not obtaining a consultation because of “medical deserts”.