France health ministry faces backlash over thermal spa reimbursement cuts

The French Ministry of Health is facing significant opposition following a proposal to transfer €200 million in thermal spa treatment costs from national health insurance to private complementary health insurers. Under the current system, Social Security covers 65% of thermal cure costs, but the government's plan aims to reduce public spending by shifting the burden to private insurers.

In Bagnères-de-Bigorre, medical professionals and patients at the Grands Thermes have denounced the move as a “disguised reimbursement cut.” Marie-Hélène Blanque, director of the Grands Thermes, criticized the government for proceeding with the decision before the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) has completed its evaluation of the treatments' effectiveness. She described the process as “disloyal” and a “denial of democracy.”

Senator Hussein Bourgi has also voiced strong opposition, arguing that while reducing public spending is a valid goal, the chosen method is flawed. He warned that transferring these costs could lead private insurers to increase premiums or refuse coverage altogether, potentially dealing a “fatal blow” to thermal medicine and the 88 thermal centers across France that support local economies.