"A form of tax on the sick": towards an increase in medical deductibles in the next budget

Getting medical care will soon cost us more. The Social Security budget plan aims to reduce the deficit by 2026, thanks to numerous cost-cutting measures. This project takes up the idea of ​​former Prime Minister François Bayrou, such as increasing these deductibles from 1 to 2 euros . A very concrete consequence: if the law passes, a box of Doliprane will be almost entirely the patient's responsibility.

For economist Michaël Zemmour , this measure is one of the few budget measures that shocked him.

“Medical deductibles are a direct transfer from health insurance to patients. You could say it's a form of tax on patients. It represents around two billion euros, so it's a significant amount,” he estimates.

What's new, however, is that these exemptions could soon apply to medical devices. This unclear term includes, for example, glasses, bandages, and condoms, when they are prescribed, of course.

The same goes for dentists, where patients will have to pay part of the consultation out of pocket, although the exact amount has not yet been announced. These deductibles currently do not apply to a third of those insured, such as minors and women six months pregnant. The government assures that nothing will change for them.

These famous deductibles have already doubled last year: before it was 50 euro cents for medicines and 1 euro for consultations.

With its savings measures in its social security budget, the government intends to raise 2.3 billion euros.