2023-08-30 18:30:00
TRIBUNE/ANALYSIS – The executive must present the finance bill for 2024 at the end of September. Still in search of savings for the development of its next budget, the government has announced that it is considering an increase in the medical deductible. Along with sick leave and dental care, this is the third way to save money on healthcare expenditure identified by . What is the purpose of this measure and what will be its impact on the insured persons?
What is the medical deductible?
Created in 2008 under the presidency of Nicolas Sarkozy, the medical franchise aims to establish patient participation when he sees himself being provided with care or dispensed medication by a pharmacist.
This deductible is 50 euro cents per box of medicine and paramedical act and 2 euros per medical transport. The total amount that an insured may have to pay is however capped at 50 euros per year and per insured.
In its proposal, the government proposes to double the amounts of these deductibles. This increase could also concern the “flat-rate contribution” which applies to the doctor, which would increase from 1 to 2 euros. The government also plans to extend the franchise to medical devices such as dressings or crutches, which were previously exempt. A doubling of the annual ceilings is also under consideration.
What effect on healthcare consumption?
This measure would make those insured more responsible. However, according to the president of the MG France doctor’s union, tackling franchises “is totally unequal” and returns to “make the most modest, the sickest pay”. If some are exempt, “all who are barely above the thresholds”already hit by inflation, are likely to “give up treatment”. It should be noted, however, that minors, pregnant women, beneficiaries of complementary social solidarity and State Medical Aid are already exempt.
What does this mean concretely? Medical deductibles are deducted from reimbursements made by Social Security after payment at the pharmacy or after treatment. For example: for a box of 10 euros purchased in a pharmacy and reimbursed at 65%, the reimbursement will be 6 euros (6.50 euros – 0.50 euro deductible).
According to Bercy, this increase in the franchise could bring in 500 to 600 million euros per year. For the executive, this measure may appear to be an almost painless solution for the insured person. In fact, third-party payment exempts you from having to advance healthcare costs.
Also, deductibles are often deducted from a subsequent reimbursement, and therefore the insured ultimately does not pay them directly. It should be noted that in almost all cases, the complementary do not provide for the coverage of these deductibles.
Marc Antognetti is a pharmacist specializing in health law and European law.
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