the president defends the doubling of medical deductibles to one euro

“Frankly, it doesn’t shock me.” The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, defended a doubling of medical franchises during his press conference at the Elysée on Tuesday January 16. “To say that we are going to go from 0.50 to one euro” per box of medicines, “I don’t have the feeling that we [fasse] a terrible crime”, declared the head of state. “I think it creates responsibility and is a good measure. (…) We need to take responsibility for consumption.”

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Emmanuel Macron specified that it would be necessary to keep “an element of justice” by reducing the burden of this measure for people affected by long-term conditions. He envisages that they benefit from a ceiling of “50 euros per year”. “Medicine, care, medications, it doesn’t cost anything. We already take care of a lot, almost everything,” insisted the President of the Republic.

The possible increase in medical deductibles and flat-rate contributions, already considered by the executive without yet being formally announced, sparked strong criticism from the opposition during the debates on the Social Security budget for 2024.