France doubles annual medical franchise ceiling to €200

The French government announced that the maximum annual medical franchise – the amount patients must pay out‑of‑pocket for reimbursed drugs, consultations and transport – will be increased from €100 to €200 starting summer 2026. The change will be enacted by decree and is intended to raise roughly €750 million to help close the growing Social Security health‑insurance deficit, which recent figures put at between €16 billion and €23 billion. The per‑unit charges remain unchanged (‑€1 per medication box, ‑€2 per consultation, ‑€4 per transport), but the combined yearly cap will double. The measure excludes pregnant women, minors and about 18 million low‑income beneficiaries. Health minister Stéphanie Rist said, “Nous doublons ce plafond qui n’a pas évolué depuis 20 ans,” adding that the revenue is needed to “continuer à investir dans notre hôpital” and maintain access to effective medicines. Critics, including health‑economist Frédéric Bizard, warn that the extra cost will fall hardest on the elderly and chronic‑ill patients, potentially discouraging needed care. The reform is part of a broader push to curb health‑spending and re‑balance reimbursements between the state and private complementary insurers.