In an interview given to the economic daily Les Echos, Etienne Caniard the president of the French Mutuality (which brings together 500 French mutuals) announced a projected increase in mutual fees from 2.5% to 3% for 2014.
The latter explains to Les Echos on a daily basis that “Mutual health insurance rates are expected to increase between 2.5% and 3% in 2014, marking a halt after the significant increases experienced in recent years“. Etienne Caniard also says he has “heard the Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine, announce that there would be no new taxes or new redemptions, therefore no transfers to complementary”, Which, according to him, explains these smaller increases, calculated on the evolution of health costs. But, Etienne Caniard recalls that “some mutuals, which had chosen to significantly increase their rates in recent years, should be able to support the increase in health spending, and therefore not increase their rates. Those who, on the other hand had made the effort to contain their prices, should on the contrary pass it on.“.
Favorable to third-party payment for general practitioners
Marisol Touraine announced yesterday during the presentation of the national health strategy, that the French will no longer have to advance the price of their medical consultation and that they pay their consultations with the third party payment.
” This provision will be applied in stages, because it is technically quite complicated. The doctor must be paid without having to do too complicated proceduresShe noted. ” But from 2014, this measure will be implemented for beneficiaries of complementary health assistance, with modest incomes. “.
The president of the Mutualité Française confirmed to Les Echos that he is in favor of the generalization in 2017 of third-party payment. We even hope to generalize third-party payment before this date, which seems remote to us. We can go faster, ”he believes. “But technical questions will have to be resolved“, He stressed, however.
