The “Aging Well” law of 2024 announced the principle, the precise use has just been made official: a decree published on January 1 sets the rules governing differentiated prices in nursing homes. The regulated rate for residents receiving social assistance remains set by the departments. Other residents may be offered a price up to 35% higher.
This measure concerns all nursing homes FAUX
It concerns establishments authorized for social assistance, for the majority of public and associative establishments. These nursing homes accommodate around 20% low-income residents, but have had the habit, until now, of charging the same price to everyone. The decree specifies that the wealthiest, not eligible for social assistance, will be able to pay up to 35% more for an identical service. The measure, however, concerns many establishments: in Brittany, more than nine establishments out of ten are concerned.
This possibility of increasing the rates of certain residents is new FAUX
Since 2005 and the Borloo ordinance, certain nursing homes could already freely set the accommodation rate applicable to new residents not receiving social assistance, recalls the French Hospital Federation. This differentiated, uncapped price, however, had to be validated by an agreement with the departmental council and only concerned certain establishments. The “Aging Well” law of April 2024 extends this possibility to all nursing homes receiving social assistance beneficiaries, without a specific prior agreement. At the same time, it introduces a ceiling of 35% difference between the controlled rate and that of other residents. Some departments, such as Finistère, had already started the process in 2024.
This price increase does not concern current residents TRUE
The measure only concerns new residents from January 1, not people who are already in the establishment. For new residents, establishments will be free to implement an increase or not. “Those who have a low occupancy rate will perhaps consider that this is not wise,” notes Luc Broussy, founder of Matières grises, a think tank dedicated to issues related to aging. “And the establishments which are at financial balance will not necessarily need to increase either. »
This 35% ceiling concerns the wealthiest residents TRUE and FALSE
Only accommodation prices for the wealthiest people – those who do not receive social assistance for accommodation – will actually be likely to increase in the nursing homes concerned. However, this difference ceiling does not concern other establishments which do not accommodate ASH beneficiaries, mainly private: they already freely set their prices, even if their annual increase is regulated (limited to 3.2% in 2025).
-Prices will systematically increase by 35% for the wealthiest FAUX
This 35% figure is a ceiling. According to Luc Broussy, of Matières grises, “the vast majority of structures will not increase by a maximum of 35%. This is the very high range. » It will be possible to set up progressive pricing, as in nurseries or at universities, but the decree does not impose it. Furthermore, even if a prior agreement is no longer obligatory, establishments must inform the departments of these increases. “The departmental council has the possibility of reducing the price difference put in place by the nursing home, in order to preserve an affordable accommodation offer within its territory,” underlines the official Service-Public platform.
The price of a room in a nursing home has already increased for 10 years TRUE
Between the end of 2018 and May 2024, the average price for accommodation in a single room in a Breton nursing home increased from 57 to 68 euros per day. That is, per month, 2,265 euros, compared to 1,740 euros in 2018. This assessment is based on the rates declared by establishments to the National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy (CNSA), regardless of their capacity to welcome. This increase in Brittany is close to what is observed nationally, although slightly less significant. The price differences are significant depending on the type of establishment: over 30 days, half of the nursing homes receiving social assistance recipients display a price lower than 2,000 euros, when the average amount for half of the other structures exceeds 3 000 euros.
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