The Director General of the Caisse Nationale de l’Assurance Maladie presented the Social Security Financing Bill for 2025 to the French Senate: a slightly lower deficit (13.4 billion euros), and a national target for health insurance expenditure of +2.7%. Savings of 3.5 billion euros are expected through better management of care, prescriptions and work stoppages.
On October 31, members of the Senate Social Affairs Committee heard Thomas Fatôme, Director General of the Caisse Nationale de l’Assurance Maladie (CNAM), discuss the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) for 2025.
The Director General acknowledged that “the French health insurance system is in a difficult financial situation”, even though a slight improvement in the accounts could be envisaged for 2025, with the deficit falling from €14.6 billion (estimated for 2024) to €13.4 billion next year. He pointed out that the national health insurance expenditure target (Ondam) for 2025 is forecast at 2.7%, which represents a further decline compared to 2024 (3.2%) and 2023 (4.8%), while remaining higher than the forecast inflation level. To achieve this objective, additional savings measures will be required, estimated at around €3.5 billion. These savings will be based on better management of drug expenditure, optimization of care paths and improved efficiency of the healthcare system. A review of certain drug prescriptions, such as those for AGLP-1 antidiabetics, is also planned. Lastly, efforts will have to be made to better control work stoppages, reduce medical biology expenditure and optimize the cost of medical transport.
Cnam’s General Manager indicated that these efforts to control expenditure were essential to gradually reduce the health insurance deficit, while maintaining the quality of care and access to medical innovations.
Find out more
Social Security budget: hearing with Thomas Fatôme, Social Affairs Committee, October 31, 2024 (video, 1h38)
L’Assurance maladie defends verification of certain additional prescriptions, Le Figaro, October 31, 2024, Le Figaro with AFP
Assurance maladie : les perspectives budgétaires restent dégradées, malgré les économies en 2025, Publicsénat, October 31, 2024, Guillaume Jacquot
