France’s leading doctors’ union, MG-France, has condemned the government’s last-minute attempt to push through a decree that would double out-of-pocket medical fees for patients. With the government facing a confidence vote on Monday, critics accuse it of trying to sneak through the measure just days before it could fall.
Health Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed on Thursday that the government intends to use an executive order to raise medical deductibles, despite opposition from the National Health Insurance Council. The move would increase patient contributions for doctor visits from €2 to €4, paramedical services from €1 to €2, and medical transport from €4 to €8. The annual cap on these fees would also double from €50 to €100.
Agnès Giannotti, president of MG-France, called the tactic “absolutely unacceptable,” arguing that it unfairly targets the most vulnerable. “Four days before the government falls, it is trying to quietly pass a decree that will impact healthcare access and impose what is essentially a new tax on the poorest and the sickest,” she stated. “It’s unthinkable.”
The union warns that the increases could lead people to avoid seeking necessary care. Giannotti also questioned the economic rationale, pointing out that similar increases in the past have failed to curb spending. Last year, the government raised prescription charges from €0.50 to €1 per medication box.
The government defends the measure as necessary to control rising social security costs, which France’s Court of Auditors recently described as out of control. But with the decree unlikely to be reviewed before Monday’s vote, the future of the policy remains uncertain.
