Minister for Public Accounts Amélie de Montchalin told members of parliament on Thursday that doubling medical deductibles, one of the most contentious measures discussed in the Social Security budget, could no longer "be included" in "financial projections" for next year, due to a lack of consensus.
"I will not force through the issue of medical deductibles," Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also declared a little later.
The compromises sought in the Assembly chamber may "allow us to postpone a number of measures that were in the government's initial texts, including perhaps medical deductibles, but I hope that we can compensate for them," he then added.
Medical deductibles are the out-of-pocket expenses paid by patients, for example, on boxes of medication. These deductibles would increase from 1 to 2 euros if they were doubled.
But "the government acknowledges that in the majority of this country, clearly, this proposal does not have consensus and therefore cannot be included in our financial projections," said Amélie de Montchalin.
The doubling measure, expected to generate 2.3 billion, can be taken by decree.
But the expected revenues are taken into account in the financial balances of the draft social security budget for 2026. However, MPs are debating fiercely this week during a second reading of the text to contain the social security deficit next year.
Following these statements, Socialist MP Jérôme Guedj asked the government to make a clear commitment: "Today you must tell us that there will be no decree doubling medical deductibles."
– Extension for the National Health Insurance Expenditure Target (ONDAM)?
Ms. de Montchalin also addressed the burning issue of the national health insurance spending target (Ondam) on Thursday evening.
She announced that the government wished "potentially to further increase the national health expenditure target (ONDAM), which, as you know, is currently at approximately 21 TP3T. The government is potentially considering going up to 2.5 TP3T."
"But to do that," she added, "we must continue to work on savings."
The minister finally announced that the government had "decided" to "compensate for an additional 2 billion euros in general relief exemptions".
These general reductions in social security contributions on wages aim to lower labor costs. The government can compensate for this shortfall in social security revenue using its own funds.
"This is a way of considering that companies, through general tax relief, contribute to Social Security revenues," argued Amélie de Montchalin.
But these compensations "refer the problem back to the PLF," the state budget, Mr. Lecornu later noted.
English 
French