lost funds contributions, explosion of prices… the hiccup of the loss of autonomy guarantee

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– In the future, civil servants risk being less well covered in the event of loss of autonomy

A step forward… but also a step backwards. On the same principle as what has existed since 2016 for private sector employees, civil servants will soon benefit from compulsory supplementary insurance offered by their employer. This will cover 50% of the contributions. The establishment of this mechanism, which will begin January 1, 2025, will be progressive. On this date, it will, for example, be established at the Ministry of the Armed Forces and Agriculture. The coverage will of course include health but also foresight, which provides financial guarantees in the event of illness, incapacity for work, disability or even protection of the spouse and children in the event of death.

Currently, civil servants already subscribe, but voluntarily, to complementary health insurance and welfare contracts. In most cases, they move towards solutions proposed by historical professional mutual societies, such as the MGEN for teachers. The guarantees offered by future collective contracts should be close to those that civil servants currently experience… with one exception: coverage for loss of autonomy.

One less guarantee

Nearly 3.5 million civil servants, mainly state civil servants (teachers, tax agents, national police officers, etc.), have, since 1996, in their pension contract a coverage in the event of loss of autonomy. For example, agents of the Ministry of Finance can sign up to the health/welfare contracts of MGEFI (historical mutual insurance company of the ministry). As soon as they join this mutual insurance company, they are obligatorily covered in health and welfare (death, incapacity, invalidity and loss of autonomy). Thus, they benefit from a dependency guarantee in addition to legal aid from 500 euros per month if they are losing their autonomy, for a very low contribution, 6 to 7 euros per month. “It is coverage that is very accessible since it is shared with the entire population, both active and retired.”, explains Serge Brichet, president of the Civil Service Mutuality, a union bringing together 18 civil servant mutuals. The fact that all members contribute to this risk while, fortunately, not all of them will be in a situation of loss of autonomy, allows this low level of contribution.

Problem: in the collective contracts that will be put in place, the dependency guarantee will only be offered to agents if the ministry decides so and, if this is the case, only optional. As a result, as this risk will no longer be shared, that is to say financed by all members, the contribution will be significantly more expensive. “The price will be multiplied by 10 or 13, for comparable coverageestimates Serge Brichet. We are in a decline in protection.” A surprising choice knowing that with the aging of the population, more and more elderly people will find themselves losing their autonomy and will have need financial support to pay for home help or an Ehpad (accommodation establishment for dependent elderly people).

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A breach of rights for a large majority of agents

And that’s not the only hiccup. Those who have been contributing for years for the loss of autonomy guarantee risk losing everything. If this guarantee is not offered in future collective contracts, then they will not be covered in the event of loss of autonomy, even if they have previously contributed. And if such an optional guarantee exists in future collective contracts, they will be able to subscribe to it but at a price which could be 10 times higher than the current one., SO not very accessible for the vast majority of public officials.

This is the solution that the ministry seems to be aiming for. “The contracts may offer agents an additional guarantee against loss of autonomy, at their sole expense”, specifies the General Directorate of Administration and Civil Service which is following this file. To avoid this situation, discussions are still underway. “We do not despair that when the specifications for collective contracts in each ministry are released, the loss of autonomy guarantee can be offered and at a price that remains reasonable”hopes the president of the Civil Service Mutuality.