Mathieu Priore / Photo credit: JEAN-MARC BARRERE / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
To reduce the Social Security deficit, the government announced in January its intention to make those insured pay a little more for their healthcare consumption. Since Sunday, the amount of medical deductibles has therefore increased from 50 cents to 1 euro. Here is how the measure will apply in practice.
This is one of the major changes of this Monday, April 1st. From now on, the amount of medical deductibles, this sum deducted from reimbursements by the State when purchasing medicines, doubles from 50 cents to one euro. To reduce the Social Security deficit, the government announced in January its intention to make those insured pay a little more for their healthcare consumption by increasing the unreimbursed portion. But how will this apply in practice?
“Very bad news for the health system”
When you go to the pharmacy, prescription medications are fully reimbursed. It is therefore during your next treatment, for example, that the medical deductible applies, as during a deferred payment. But this change from 50 cents to 1 euro does not delight everyone, like Gérard Raymond, president of France Asso Santé. “We consider that this is very bad news for the health system. This is not how we are going to rebuild and overhaul it. And that is also bad news for the patients who will feel more more wronged and who will feel guilty with this system.
The annual ceiling of the franchise remains unchanged, set at 50 euros. This means that from the 51st box purchased, you no longer have to pay anything. Hence the interest in favoring boxes that last in the long term. Fewer boxes completed means less money spent. On the other hand, these deductibles also increase to 1 euro with the nurse or physiotherapist. These increases should bring 800 million euros per year to the State.