Reports on the Recent Health Care Reforms in France Provided by Irdes in 2004
All Irdes productions - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - 2003
Health Insurance Vouchers Plan
The health insurance vouchers plan aims to extend the population who may benefit from a supplementary health
insurance, and then: - offset the negative impacts of the threshold effect that occurs following the implementation
of the universal complete health insurance coverage dedicated to the poorest; - Beginning to regulate the voluntary
health insurance market. The voucher is a grant aiming at lowering the supplementary insurance contract cost.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site 
Sickness funds reform: new governance
Polton D., Mousquès J.
This reform renews the organization and the management responsibility of sickness funds by way of increasing
the competencies delegated to the sickness funds regarding: - the financial stewardship of the health care system,
- the definition of the health care package and the regulation of prices and tariffs, - the negotiation of collective
agreements with the providers.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site
Improvement of the coordination in health care
Polton D., Mousquès J.
This policy aims at improving the coordination and organization of the access and process of care for patient
by introducing several financial incentives for them to accept: a gatekeeping primary care system plus a referral
system for access to secondary care, and an electronic personal medical record medical for the management of care.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site
The cancer plan – 2003-2007
The cancer plan was launched in 2003. It aims to reduce cancer-related mortality by 20% in the next five years.
To achieve this ultimate objective, the plan defines a large set of operational goals (70), presented in six “priority chapters”.
Reform of the public health law
Chevreul K.
In May 2003, the French government presented a bill to the assembly to reform the public health system and define
5-year-term public health measures and objectives (2004 to 2008 for the first round). This law proposal is the first
global attempt to transform the Public Health system since 1902.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site
Reorganization of after hours ambulatory care
Couffinhal A., Lucas-Gabrielli V.
Over time, the after hours provision of ambulatory care by private practice physicians became somewhat problematic
in some parts of France. Some local and rather innovative solutions had been initiated, but the government had to address
the issue at the national level and issued two decrees since September 2003.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site
High Council on the future of sickness insurance
Polton D.
First stage of a process to reform the health insurance system in France, a High Council gathering all stakeholders
has been set up in 2003 to build a common diagnosis on the challenges and problems faced by the health care system.
At the end of January 2004, the High Council has issued a report and consultations are now taking place in order
for the Government to propose legislation by summer.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site
Regulation of hospital drugs
A set of measures have been adopted to contain hospital drugs expenditures while guaranteeing accessibility to costly innovative drugs despite the implementation of the new method of financing hospitals on a per case basis.A price
regulation scheme has been introduced to achieve the first objective and an exclusion of costly drugs from the per case
rates aims to meet the second one.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site
Bioethics legislation
A bill, voted by the National Assembly (December 03) defines a limiting body of regulation, mainly directed at restricting
research on embryonic stem cells and re-negotiating European rules regarding patents on genes, to strictly forbid any kind
of patent. It is highly normative and seen as a protection of society mores and ‘the human being' against so-called
“uncontrolled scientific breakthroughs” on one hand, and the “private market” on the other hand.
Online on the International network health policy & reform's site