the Minister of Health, Aurélien Rousseau, says he is “ready to take this measure”

“There is no decision” taken for the moment concerning the doubling of medical deductibles, the Minister of Health said on Wednesday. Aurélien Rousseau says he is in favor because “these resources will be used to finance improvements at the hospital”.

“I am ready to carry to this extent”, assures Wednesday November 29 on franceinfo, the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau. Asked about the doubling of medical deductibles, he indicates that at this stage, “there is no decision”. Medical deductibles are an additional charge that all policyholders pay for each box of medication or paramedical procedure (physiotherapy, nursing care, etc.). It amounts to 50 euro cents per box or per document, or 2 euros per medical transport.

These medical deductibles are capped at 50 euros per year per person and concern all patients, except those under 18 years of age, pregnant women or beneficiaries of complementary solidarity health insurance or state medical aid. “As soon as I was appointed” Minister of Health, in July 2023, “I announced it as a possible measure”, underlines Aurélien Rousseau. But the government, in search of budgetary savings for 2024, seems to be hesitant on the issue. In October, he renounced this measure, allowing Health Insurance to save 800 million euros.

It should be noted that the measure is criticized by patient associations and doctors’ unions in particular. Thus, France Assos santé is there “strongly opposes” explaining that “taking medication is not a choice, nor a comfort, but an absolute, even vital, necessity!”. The MG France doctors’ union believes that tackling franchises “is totally unequal” and returns to “make the poorest, the sickest pay” and fears that some “renounce care”. The president of the general practitioners’ branch within the Confederation of French Medical Unions, Luc Duquesnel, is also concerned that the measure will not come “aggravate the problems of access to care”.

The increase in medical deductibles has crystallized part of the debates without even appearing in this Social Security financing bill, without even appearing there since it “depends solely on the government”, recalls Aurélien Rousseau, Wednesday November 29 on franceinfo. However, he “makes the commitment to come back to the front” both houses of Parliament, “the day when a decision will be” socket.

The Minister of Health “is ready” to defend this measure “because these resources will be used to finance improvements to the hospital”he assures. “This is something that will be used for the health system, not for other measures for the State, for example”. Aurélien Rousseau insists because his “The goal is that we all behave differently with the medication. It’s not a consumer product like any other”. He does not want a possible increase in medical deductibles to be seen as an attack on purchasing power. Otherwise, “we risk missing the meaning of this measure”declares the minister.