The proposal is already making some people cough. In a complicated budgetary context where it must reduce spending at all costs, the government has put those of health in its sights. A large source of potential savings, these should be reduced by several hundred million euros in the Social Security finance bill (PLFSS), which will be presented in the fall.
The government thus indicates that it is studying “tracks” to reduce drug expenditure. Indeed, in 2021, their consumption, excluding hospitalization, reached a value of 31.1 billion euros, up 4.4% according to the Drees (Ministry of Health). A sum financed three-quarters by Social Security. Thus, Bercy is currently considering the terms of an increase in the deductible on boxes of medicines (currently at 50 cents) “which has not been increased since 2008”, recalls the minister’s office. It could be increased to reach 1 euro. A track is also being studied to increase the deductible on consultations with the doctor (currently set at 1 euro).
The rule in force, however, stipulates that the cumulative amount of all medical deductibles cannot exceed 50 euros per year for the patient. Thus, a patient who would see his doctor 100 times in the year would only have to pay a deductible of 50 euros. This ceiling should not be increased.
According to the government, the objective is to save money in order to preserve the financial sustainability of the health system but also to empower the French. Bruno Le Maire, the Minister of the Economy, indeed judges that “free or almost free can lead to disempowering the patient”. The purpose of such a measure would be to put an end to “comfort and ease spending”. In the same logic, the government assumes that it wants to make the actors – employers, patients and doctors – responsible for the sick leave which cost the community 16 billion euros in 2022.
Last month, Gabriel Attal, still Minister of the Budget, castigated in particular “the soaring sick leave in teleconsultation” whose supervision via the last budget of the Secu was censured by the Constitutional Council. Despite this, the idea may well return in another form in the next PLFSS.
