This move in the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) has caused chaos for private doctors. The union even called a strike in January. Deputies finally removed on Sunday an article aimed at curbing excess fees for doctors, which some reports said were rising rapidly.
This would allow the government to increase the contribution paid by doctors on their surcharges by decree (3.25% currently).
The main representatives of private doctors denounced the “dangers” of private medicine, especially in sector 2 (the agreement with Health Insurance that allows these advantages), while certain prices for procedures reimbursed by Health Insurance have been blocked for years.
On Sunday, the manuscript’s general rapporteur, Thibault Bazin (LR), criticized the measure, which targets “all doctors in sector 2 indiscriminately, whatever the degree of excess, (…) whether they participate in permanent care or not, whatever their specialty”.
With these additional contributions, “doctors will raise excess prices” as compensation, mutual insurance companies will raise “their contract prices”, and “in the end it will be the users who will be penalized”, added Renaissance lawmaker Jean-François Rousset.
Excess taxes to avoid “drift”
The amendment removing the clause from the draft budget was adopted with the votes of deputies Renaissance, Horizons, LR, RN and their Ciottist allies, as well as communists and Liot independents. PS, LFI and the Ecologist voted against. The deputies of the Demom Ministry were divided.
For socialist Jérôme Guedj, this was “a simple incentive to limit cost overruns” heading “in the right direction.”
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist pointed to “a markedly increased increase in excesses in recent years”, representing “4.5 billion euros by 2024”.
“Therefore, these excesses have caused the government to propose imposing taxes on these excesses. But I say today, my intention is not to punish this sector 2,” he added, saying “listen to the professionals”.
Discussion “in the coming weeks”
The minister said he wanted to start discussions “in the coming weeks under the responsibility of the Health Insurance Fund, with doctors, patient associations” and “auxiliary organizations”.
After its hearing in the House, which should end on Wednesday, the 2026 Social Security budget bill will go to the Senate.
