Medical taxis and ambulances: patients will soon have to “share” medical transport with other patients

The government, which is seeking to save money, is attacking Social Security. In 2022, reimbursement for medical transport amounted to six billion euros. In the fall of 2023, to counter this sharp increase, Parliament voted to share medical transport. The decree, which should be published in the coming days, was consulted by our colleagues from -.

A possibility of refusing, but paying

According to the decree, you will now have to share your ambulance or health taxi with other sick patientswith a possible detour of ten kilometers per passenger, within the limit of a total detour of thirty kilometers. For people wishing to obtain individual transport, and therefore without sharing a journey, the doctor who takes care of them must specify on the prescription that the patient’s condition is incompatible with shared transportation.

It will still be possible to refuse shared transport, but fees will have to be advanced at an amount which has not yet been fixed. Finally, whether in the ambulance or the taxi, it will not be compulsory to wear a mask. No barrier measures are provided for by the decree. A lack of measure denounced by Catherine Simonin, of the League against Cancer and France Assos santé: “Without barrier measures (…), there is obviously a risk of contamination of the most fragile and vulnerable people who may have counterparties behind and loss of opportunity for their health,” she denounces to -.

A measure strongly criticized

Guest of - on May 3, 2024, Alain Olympie, representative of AP-HP users at Saint-Antoine hospital (Paris), this decree will “necessarily” lead to to a deterioration of service for sick patients. “Now, the rule will be collective transport and not individual transport. With this decree, we are taking back a road map, a compass and a compass, in the age of GPS,” he regrets.

Bruno Lamothe, volunteer with Renaloo, an association of kidney patients, the decree makes vulnerable people who are already seriously affected. “The patient may have nausea, vomiting… And this person will be forced to detour up to 30 km even though they are in a vulnerable situation,” he explains to -. As for waiting for the departure of the ambulance or taxi, the decree provides for a “reasonable waiting time”. “What is a ‘reasonable’ delay?, asks Catherine Simonin. We can clearly see that in the emergency room, we can sometimes wait five hours. These are very vague, very vague provisions…”.