The announcement which will probably have caught the attention of the French concerns the possible deletion of two holidays. Prime Minister François Bayrou spoke yesterday, Tuesday July 15, to mention different budget cuts. The health field is not spared.
Save 5 billion euros on health spending
For the 2026 budget, Matignon takes action and François Bayrou has announced that he wanted to find 5 billion euros to save, among health spending. These measures are considered essential because the health budget “will increase next year by 10 billion euros”.
“”It is not sustainable. I propose that we have the effort to limit this increase in half “ he adds. Objective: to avoid the deficit in health insurance, already estimated at 13.8 billion euros in 2024, worsen more.
Double the annual deductible on drugs
Among the flagship measures, François Bayrou announces the doubling of the medical franchise ceiling on drugs. It will drop from 50 to 100 euros per year. A way, according to him, to have the responsibility weigh more on each insured.
“”We must empower patients to make health cost more concrete for our fellow citizens“He said. The Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin specifies that these franchises will now be”Poured directly to the counter by the insured, simply to be more visible, to help everyone save better “.
A revision of the status of long -term conditions
Another major turn: the reform of the status of long -term conditions (ALD). It aims to end the reimbursement at 100 % of drugs deemed “unrelated” to the chronic pathology declared. The Prime Minister also wishes to get some patients out of the ALD regime when their state of health has improved.
Justifying these announcements, François Bayrou stressed that “20 % of French people are in long -term condition against 5 % of the German population. (…) And I do not believe that the French are in worse health than the Germans “.
It is therefore a question of tightening the criteria of eligibility for this status, which today concerns more than 13 million people. Current prescriptions such as painkillers or antibiotics may no longer be covered 100 % if they are not directly attached to chronic disease.
Savings to straighten public accounts
In total, the State aims at 43.8 billion euros in budget 2026, including 5 billion on social and health expenses. François Bayrou justifies this effort by the need to bring the deficit to 4.6 % of GDP by the end of 2026. The latter reached 5.8 % in 2025. He also wishes to stop public debt by 2029.
The Prime Minister recognized that this trajectory would require “A collective accountability effort“. The government also points to the drift of sick leave, including expenses”increases by 6 % per year since the health crisis“, According to Catherine Vautrin. She also mentions a worrying rate of”unjustified judgments“, citing”50 % of stops over eighteen months“.
In this logic of rigor, other measures are being studied: the reinforced control of long -term stops, the freezing of certain social benefits, or the reduction in the number of holidays.
François Bayrou says that “We must all participate in this effort“. A formula that may make patients react as much as caregivers. Medical unions, in particular, have not yet reacted to these announcements, but the tone is given: Matignon obviously wishes to spend less to treat as much.