According to an Ifop poll conducted on 902 French adults and published on Sunday in the regional weekly Dimanche Ouest France, 54% of French people are in favor of the generalization of third-party payment among doctors because “this will allow the most modest to be able to consult a doctor while they sometimes give up because they cannot advance the price of a consultation”.
On the other hand, this measure which consists in no longer advancing the price of the consultation is not well received by a third of French people (34%) who think that “it will disempower patients, create abuse and result in increase in health spending “.
“Although in general, under the effect of the economic and financial crisis, public opinion is showing itself more and more sensitive to the control of health spending and the reduction of public deficits, the risk of an uncontrolled increase in the number of consultations, following the generalization of third-party payment, is not mostly shared, ”notes the Ifop polling institute.
A socioeconomic divide
60% of workers and employees declared themselves in favor of this measure against only 40% of the liberal professions and senior executives and 29% of the self-employed. Figures which reflect those of the survey carried out in October 2012. Indeed, it revealed that 39% of workers and employees had already given up consulting a doctor for financial reasons against only 22% of liberal professions and senior executives. Overall, 17% of the French population gives up healthcare for lack of means according to the latest CISS barometer (Interassociative Collective on Health).
If the minister recalls in a press release that “the generalization of third-party payment is a fundamental reform necessary, which will contribute to better access to care, in particular for the too many households for which the advance of expenses constitutes a brake “, this measure is not approved by the unions of doctors.
