According to an Ifop poll, 59% of French people think that the state spends too much on health. And eight in ten are worried about the future of social security.
Social Security continues to widen its deficit! Indeed, the sickness branch of social security this year would show a deficit of 7.5 billion euros out of the 17.5 billion euros for the whole of social security. It is in this delicate context that Marisol Touraine will present Thursday the sector finance bill for 2014 and the measures to start a recovery. And measures to reassure the French will be needed, because a large majority of them are very worried about the future of our health system.
According to an Ifop survey (1) for the Journal du dimanche, more than eight in ten French people are worried about the future of their health system. At the same time, they would be 59% to find that the State spends too much on health.
And France is cut in two. The Ifop poll shows a cleavage between the supporters of the two main political parties (PS, UMP), who consider excessive health spending, and those, in the extreme, who think the opposite. Another cleavage, half of French people say they are ready to pay more contributions to ensure that their health costs are maintained by the security, while another half categorically refuses.
So, to try to partially absorb the security hole, the government plans to save 3 billion, especially on drugs and hospitals. Marisol Touraine intends in particular to lower the price of generics. They are, on average, 16% more expensive in France than in our European neighbors (Germany, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom).
Hospitals, which represent 44% of health spending, could be involved. In its report made public a few days ago, the Court of Auditors was very severe on the policy of outpatient surgery carried out in France.. A redesign and development of this day surgery would, according to the Wise Men, save 5 billion per year.
(1) Ifop survey for the JDD carried out on a representative sample of 1,004 people aged 18 and over.
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