Secu: Valletoux (Horizons) warns against an increase in the moderating ticket

The reduction in the reimbursement rate by Social Security for consultations with doctors, an option considered by the government in its search for savings, would send "a bad signal", according to Frederic Valletoux (Horizons), former Minister of Health and member of the government coalition in the National Assembly.

"It is necessary that the economies do not weigh on patients and the French, at least as little as possible," the president of the Social Affairs Committee said on franceinfo on Monday.

"I am thinking in particular of the increase in the moderate ticket which poses a problem for us," continued Mr. Valletoux, seeing it as a way of ultimately sliding towards a privatization of the health system which is not satisfactory.

The ticket moderator is the name given to the part of the bill paid during a consultation with the doctor that is not reimbursed by Social Security but by mutual insurance companies or complementary health insurance. It is currently 30%, but it could be raised to 40%.

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"Going from 30 to 40 is a bad signal," said Mr. Valletoux, worried about the potential impact on the cost of mutual insurance or supplementary insurance for the French.

"It is on the efficiency of the system that savings must be made, not on the backs of patients," he insisted.

The Social Security budget project will be examined starting Monday in the Social Affairs Committee at the National Assembly. Among the hot topics of the discussion: the six-month freeze on retirement pensions (which would therefore not follow inflation), which is causing tension even among government supporters. Like other members of the government coalition, Horizons will propose to at least increase small and medium pensions.

"We could imagine that the most important pensions would have a blank year in 2025," Mr. Valletoux also put on the table.

"I am ready for us to have an opening on small pensions," said Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin on RMC/BFMTV on Monday. "Is it 1,200 euros, 1,400 euros? We will have to find the right cursor but I want us to protect small pensions," he assured.