Blocked since 2010 at 18 euros, the hospital package will be reassessed to catch up with inflation, according to the Minister of Health.
Invited this morning by Jean-Jacques Bourdin on RMC, Agnès Buzyn confirmed information from JDD : the hospital package will increase. The Minister of Health refused to detail the terms of the increase before the official presentation of the Health Insurance budget scheduled for Thursday. But, according to information from JDD, it should go from 18 to 20 euros to 1er January 2018.
“There will be an increase in the hospital fee, simply to catch up with inflation, since it has not increased since 2010,” said Ms. Buzyn.
Remainder of charge for the patients
In addition to the increase of 2 euros in hospitals and clinics, the fixed price for a stay in a psychiatric hospital should also be reassessed. Currently set at 13.50 euros, it should increase to 15 euros.
“The hospital package represents the patient’s financial contribution to accommodation and maintenance costs incurred by his hospitalization”, recalls the health insurance site Ameli.fr. This is the part of the cost of hospitalization that is not covered by Health Insurance.
To fill the crates
Why this increase? Among Emmanuel Macron’s announcements was an increase in health insurance spending of more than 4 billion euros. To compensate for this, the budget is based on savings: promotion of generics, outpatient care, a reduction in drug consumption, fight against fraud, etc.
But the government also intends to bring a little extra money into the Social Security coffers. This increase of 2 euros in the hospital package should bring in around 100 million additional euros.
No change for patients
What impact for patients? Beneficiaries of universal medical coverage (CMU), State medical aid (AME), a military pension and the Alsace-Moselle regime are exempt, and will remain so.
Pregnant women hospitalized in the last 4 months of pregnancy or the 12 days following childbirth also, as well as children hospitalized in their first month of life. The other exemptions are also maintained: in the event of an accident at work, hospitalization of a disabled child under the age of 20, or hospitalization at home.
For the vast majority of others who have complementary health insurance, the difference will undoubtedly not be visible. “The hospital package is covered by mutuals, so it is from them that an effort is required”, recalled the Minister of Health. It remains to be seen whether the increase will be passed on to the prices charged to individuals and businesses …
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