Free morning after pill, rise in the price of tobacco, aid for single-parent families: what the budget of the “Safety” adopted by Parliament contains

The National Assembly rejected, on the evening of Friday, December 2, a new motion of censure by the New People’s Ecological and Social Union (Nupes) against the government, leading to the final adoption by Parliament of the Social Security budget for 2023 Savings plan, fight against medical deserts, emphasis on prevention, overview of the main measures contained in the bill.

A forecast deficit of 18.9 billion euros

Since the abysmal record of 2020 (nearly 39 billion euros), losses have been reduced to less than 25 billion in 2021. For this year, they were programmed at 17.8 billion.

But the National Assembly and the Senate voted, on a government proposal, extensions for the hospital, in particular to deal with the epidemics of bronchiolitis and Covid-19, which brings the projected deficit to 18.9 billion. For 2023, it should be 7.1 billion, if the government’s optimistic assumptions are confirmed.

A stroke of the plane for the labs

If the budget does not provide for a reduction in the budget allocated to the public hospital, savings are programmed in several sectors: around 1 billion on medicine, 250 million on analysis laboratories, 150 million on imaging, and as much on complementary health insurance.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers François Braun faces several fronts of protest from health personnel

Faced with the rebellion of drug manufacturers, the government however backed down in mid-October on certain measures that would constrain them. The analysis laboratories are on strike until Saturday to protest against the reduction requested of them.

A pack of cigarettes at 11 euros in 2024

The average package price, currently 10.15 euros, should rise to 11 euros in 2024, depending on inflation. Taxation on tobacco brings in between 13 and 14 billion per year, against a cost of 20 to 26 billion euros for Medicare.

Free emergency contraception for all

To fight against social inequalities in health, prevention consultations will be offered at the key ages of life (20-25 years, 40-45 years and 60-65 years). These appointments should also be “the place where sexist and sexual violence is identified”added the deputies.

Emergency contraception will be free for all women, without medical prescription. The text also plans to make it possible to screen for certain sexually transmitted infections without a prescription for everyone, and free of charge for those under 26.

Three-year trial of mandatory screening for sickle cell disease in newborns. This hereditary genetic disease affecting red blood cells leads in particular to anemia, an increased risk of infections and cardiovascular accidents.

Pharmacists and nurses will be able to prescribe vaccines

Pharmacists and nurses will be equipped with vaccine prescription capacity. And midwives will be able to vaccinate more people.

Internship for general practitioners extended by one year

The internship for general practitioners will be extended by a year, with internships outside the hospital carried out “in priority” in medical deserts – MPs on all sides were arguing for an obligation. The objective of this extension of their training is to better prepare them for liberal practice and to support their installation.

Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers Strike of liberal doctors: the reasons for a “historic common front”

To respond in part to the shortage of caregivers, the possibility for doctors and hospital nurses to work until the age of 72 is extended until the end of 2035. On the liberal side, liberal doctors in combined employment and retirement will be exempt from contributions old-age insurance, under a level of income fixed by decree. Combining employment and retirement becomes possible for health professionals in medical deserts.

Due to the lack of on-call doctors throughout the territory on evenings and weekends, it is planned to extend the “permanent care” nurses, midwives and dentists.

Finally, young carers will no longer be able to work on a temporary basis as soon as they leave school, but must first exercise “in another setting”employee or liberal, “for a minimum period” which will be fixed by decree. Temporary work is becoming more and more expensive for hospitals.

Recruitment of 3,000 professionals for nursing homes

Some 3,000 nurses and nursing assistants will come to reinforce the staff of retirement homes, the first stage of a plan of 50,000 additional recruitments by 2027. There will be added 4,000 places in home help services.

The national “floor rate” per hour of intervention for home help services is raised to 23 euros in 2023.

Increased support for single-parent families

Single-parent families will now receive financial assistance for childcare until they enter college, and no longer until the start of CP. And the minimum alimony paid to them by the Family Allowance Fund in the event of default by the other parent will be increased by 50%, from 123 to 185 euros per month.

The financial assistance paid to families who have their child looked after by a childminder will be reassessed, so that their remaining dependents are the same as if the child benefited from a place in a crèche.

And also

Access to complementary health insurance will be simplified for young people and the elderly, subject to conditions.

With the exception of pensions, allowances can no longer be paid from 2024 to non-European bank accounts.

Work stoppages prescribed by teleconsultation by a professional other than the treating doctor or a doctor seen in the last twelve months will no longer be reimbursed.

Exposure to pesticides will be better compensated for children suffering from a pathology related to the profession of one of their parents and this compensation will be extended to beneficiaries.

The World with AFP