France Plans to Raise Medical Co-Pays This Summer, Cutting Social Security Reimbursements

Overview

• On Friday, June 19, the government told the three main complementary-insurer federations that it intends to raise tickets modérateurs this summer to reduce the share of medical bills paid by Assurance Maladie.
• Officials estimate the regulatory change could save €1.5–2 billion but have not decided which medical acts will be affected or published a timetable or operational details.
• The federations FIPS, La Mutualité and France Assureurs publicly opposed the plan and warned it would cut household purchasing power, raise employer costs, and push insurers to increase premiums or change contracts.
• The ticket modérateur is the portion of a medical bill not paid by Assurance Maladie and is often covered by complementary insurers, so raising it shifts costs onto patients or those insurers.
• The government plans to act by decree this summer and may add further measures in the upcoming social-security finance bill, leaving stakeholders watching for exact scope, implementation rules, and possible taxation proposals.