The Senate this Monday voted against limiting the duration of work stoppages, proposed by the administration as part of the Social Security budget bill. The senators also want to prohibit updating these decisions via telemedicine. Limiting the duration of the work stoppage “would deploy several hundred thousand consultation hours in a context of weakening access to services,” said Les Républicains senator Corinne Imbert, who supports “prescribing freedom” for doctors.
The latter adopted an amendment to the Social Security budget to challenge these limits. The government initially proposed limits to be set by decree at 15 days for the first work stoppage determined by a city doctor, and 30 days in hospital. During the debate in the National Assembly, deputies wanted to insert this maximum limit directly into law, setting a time limit of 30 days in both cases.
The Minister of Health opposed this vote
The executive intends to legislate in the face of increased expenditure related to work stoppages, amounting to eleven billion euros by 2024, an increase of 6% per year for five years. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist regretted the Senate’s choice. “We can still say among ourselves that after a month, we can see patients on sick leave again. It doesn’t seem too surprising to have patients come back for follow-up,” he said.
Limiting the duration of work stoppages “will only have the effect of increasing non-recourse and forced attendance”, which he said worries ecologist Raymonde Poncet Monge. Senators also voted for another amendment to the Social Security budget to prohibit extending work stoppages announced via teleconsultation, despite opposition from the administration which considers the measure unconstitutional. The law has provided for limiting work interruptions determined by telemedicine to three days.
This vote is far from final because the debate over the Social Security budget will continue between the two houses of Parliament.
