The National Assembly voted Thursday in favor of a tax credit for the remainder payable by all residents of nursing homes, a measure valued at 675 million euros and adopted to the chagrin of the government during the examination of the 2023 budget at first reading. The device, supported by 148 votes against 137, would reduce the costs of nursing homes by around 200 euros per month, according to the socialist Christine Pirès-Beaune at the origin of the proposal.
The executive, which is preparing to use the constitutional weapon of 49.3 in the absence of an absolute majority in the Assembly, however, has the option of not retaining this amendment in the final version of this finance bill.
The sensitive debate of addiction
The discussion dragged on on this still sensitive debate of dependency care, with a series of amendments from all the opposition benches but also from some left-wing macronists. Christine Pirès-Beaune and environmentalist Christine Arrighi have called for replacing an existing tax reduction for Ehpad fees with a tax credit so that it benefits the most modest non-taxable people and can be paid in the form of check.
These deputies underlined the average monthly cost of reception in Ehpad of 1,850 euros and the difference in treatment between Ehpad and home care, for which dependent people benefit from a tax credit. LR Marc le Fur abounded in this direction: in the age group of residents of Ehpad, “most of the people accommodated do not pay tax” and cannot obtain a tax reduction.
“Too expensive”, according to the Mayor
RN Jean-Philippe Tanguy gave his support in the name of “equal charges and rights before tax” between Ehpad and home care. It’s “too expensive”, “we have to find other solutions”, replied the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, who also fears that nursing homes will increase their price thanks to this tax credit. The government pleaded in vain for an “other way”, a “more ambitious old age policy” rather than a simple amendment.
“Our policy is to keep as many elderly people as possible at home,” added the general budget rapporteur Jean-René Cazeneuve (Renaissance). The amendments, however, passed with a coalition of oppositions and two Macronist voices, those of Stella Dupont and Cécile Rilhac. In the absence of an absolute majority, the government has suffered a series of defeats in recent days. And he could activate 49.3, to pass the text without a vote, at the start of next week.