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Although limited to 5% instead of the 10% previously mentioned, the reduction in reimbursements linked to medical consultations and medications will have a definite impact on the wallets of the French.
Monday, November 18, the Minister of Health, Geneviève Darrieussecq announced that the reduction in the reimbursement rate for medications and medical consultations would be limited to 5%, instead of the 10% previously communicated. For the French, the bill linked to their health costs will still increase, both for those with mutual insurance and for those who have not subscribed to one. How much will you have to pay to buy medicine or go to the doctor?
Between reduction in reimbursement and increase in the price of medical consultations
As part of the bill for financing Social Security, the Minister of Health, Geneviève Darrieussecq, announced a reduction in the reimbursement rate of 5%. For consultations with a doctor, this announcement is accompanied by other bad news: from December 22, the price of a consultation with a general practitioner will increase from 26.50 euros to 30 euros. The Social Security reimbursement rate, for its part, should fall from 70% to 65%.
From next year, Social Security could be required to reimburse only 17.50 euros out of the 30 euros spent, i.e. a remaining charge of 13.50 euros. French people who have taken out mutual insurance will be able to obtain a maximum additional reimbursement of 11.50 euros, with a flat rate contribution of 2 euros being obligatory. For comparison, with the old consultation price and a reimbursement of 70 euros, Health Insurance paid 16.55 euros and the supplement could cover up to an additional 7.95 euros.
Also read: Health: doctors' discontent over requests for useless or absurd medical certificates
Medications less well reimbursed by Social Security
Currently, there are four different reimbursement rates for medications: 100%, 65%, 30%, and 15%. If the 100% rate should not be impacted by the reduction announced by the Minister of Health, the other rates, for their part, should be affected. Result: a drug previously reimbursed at 65% would only be reimbursed at 60% by Social Security (25% instead of 30%, and 10% instead of 15% for other reimbursement rates).
Currently, a box of Paracetamol sold for 3 euros is reimbursed at 65%, less a deductible of 1 euro, i.e. Health Insurance coverage of 95 cents. With the new rate of 60%, this same medication will now only benefit from 80 cents in reimbursement. The remaining amount must be paid out of the patient's pocket, or covered by complementary health insurance once the deductible has been deducted.
An impact on the health budget of all French people
You don't have mutual insurance? In this case, the drop in reimbursement rates for medications and doctor consultations will directly impact you. This will be the case for 5% of French people, or around 3 million people who do not have health insurance. However, we will have to wait for the final adoption of the text and a ministerial decree to this effect, for application from the coming year.
Have you subscribed to complementary health insurance? In most cases, this contract will allow you to benefit from higher reimbursements, and therefore limit your health expenses. However, mutual societies are private organizations, and the contributions to be paid will have to increase to cope with a “transfer to complementary health insurance of 900 million euros” according to the minister's own words. Gérard Raymond, president of the France Assos Santé patients' association, summed up the situation in Le Monde: “We are moving away from the values of solidarity and equal access to care which underpin our health system.”
