Medical franchises: the doubling will be effective at the end of March, announces the government

The government has launched the process of doubling franchises on boxes of medicine, paramedical procedures, medical transport, consultations and biology examinations, which will be effective from the end of March, announced Monday January 22 Bercy and the ministry work, health and solidarity.

“The government is undertaking the necessary consultations”, and “the new amounts of franchises and fixed contributions should come into force” at the end of March for the franchise part and “by [at] the beginning of June” for the rest, detailed the two ministries in a joint press release. The annual ceiling set at 50 euros for people affected by a serious pathology “is maintained”, they added.

The government is thus formalizing a measure discussed since the fall, but widely criticized by opposition parties and patient associations. The deductibles will be doubled and increased to one euro for boxes of medicines, paramedical procedures and flat-rate contributions, to two euros for doctors’ procedures and consultations, medical biology examinations and analyses, and to four euros for medical transport.

A measure which should bring in 800 million euros

Deductibles and fixed contributions are not applicable “to minors, to women who benefit from maternity insurance” and “to beneficiaries of complementary solidarity health insurance”, recalled the ministry.

Emmanuel Macron showed his support for this measure during his press conference last week. “To say that we are going to go from 50 [cents] to 1 euro” per box of medicines, “I don’t have the feeling that we are committing a terrible crime, but I think that it creates responsibility and that it is a good measure,” he estimated. “Medicine, care, medication, it doesn’t cost anything,” he said. The welfare system “already takes care of a lot, almost everything.”

The measure is expected to raise €800 million, according to government estimates. The executive needs this money to meet the financial objectives linked to the “responsibility of policyholders” provided for in the Social Security budget for 2024.