Health: Health Insurance opposes the increase in medical deductible

Since the start of the 2025 school year, the issue of medical deductibles has been shaking up the public health landscape in France. The government’s plan, spearheaded by the executive in a context where Social Security spending is under scrutiny, proposes a doubling of deductibles, i.e., an increase in the amounts remaining to be paid by insured persons. This decision has sparked significant controversy, particularly within the Health Insurance Council, which issued an unfavorable opinion in early September. This standoff highlights crucial issues: budget control, access to care, and social equity. Faced with this reform, major players such as the large mutual insurers – Harmonie Mutuelle, MGEN, AG2R La Mondiale, and MACIF – find themselves at the heart of a debate that questions the very role of supplementary coverage. Here is an in-depth analysis of the tensions and consequences surrounding the protest against the increase in medical deductibles. Strong opposition from the Health Insurance Council to the increase in medical deductibles

On September 4, 2025, the Health Insurance Council met to examine the government’s plan to double medical deductibles. This measure, which aims to increase patients’ out-of-pocket costs for certain procedures and medications, was strongly rejected by the majority of the council’s directors representing employees, families, and mutual insurance companies. The vote clearly highlighted a political and social divide: while most representatives of social security beneficiaries oppose this reform, employer organizations, with a few exceptions such as the U2P, tend to support it.

This disagreement is based on specific concerns. Council members fear that this increase will too quickly increase the financial burden on patients, particularly for the most vulnerable and low-income populations. Access to care, which is the foundation of our universal health system, could be compromised. The arrival of a higher bill for daily expenses such as consultations or medications increases the risk that some policyholders will forgo care or treatment.
The critical stance of the Health Insurance also reflects a refusal to see Social Security withdraw from its protective role in favor of shifting more costs onto policyholders. This trend fuels health insecurity, a challenge that mutual insurance companies such as MAIF, Mutuelle Générale, and Malakoff Humanis are trying to mitigate through their supplemental offerings.
Discover everything you need to know about the medical deductible: definition, advantages, disadvantages, and how it works for healthcare professionals and patients. The precise mechanisms of the doubling of medical deductibles and their concrete impacts

While these amounts may seem modest individually, their total can become very significant, especially for people requiring regular care. For example, an elderly person who must see a specialist several times a month and require various medications will see a significant increase in their out-of-pocket costs.

Exemptions remain limited: while minors, the disabled, and beneficiaries of complementary health insurance and state medical aid are protected, the majority of active and retired insured persons remain affected. Tensions are likely to increase, as this series of measures comes at a time when inflation is already affecting household purchasing power.
The stick of budgetary austerity versus the solidarity shield takes on its full meaning here. Health Minister Yannick Neuder defended the reform by emphasizing the need to control expenses considered « explosive. » But behind this technical language, a fundamental change is taking place in the philosophy of health financing, with increased accountability for those insured. Reactions from unions, mutual insurance companies, and associations to the reform of medical deductibles
Opposition to this doubling of deductibles is rooted in numerous and strong reactions on the social scene. Leading unions, such as the CGT and UNSA, denounce the reform as an unfair policy that will hit the poorest hardest. Sophie Binet, General Secretary of the CGT, denounced the forced passage of the reform, which would further impoverish households. For her, reducing the share covered by Social Security exposes policyholders to foregoing health care.
This position is supported by major mutual insurance federations such as Harmonie Mutuelle, Swiss Life, and MGEN, whose supplementary offerings attempt to address the shortcomings of basic reimbursement. They warn of a worsening social divide in access to healthcare, emphasizing the urgent need to maintain a balance between budgetary discipline and solidarity.

Beyond unions and mutual insurance companies, patient associations and NGOs also warn of the risks that the increased cost of uncovered care could lead to a decline in prevention. Maintaining quality universal coverage is called into question if the financial barrier becomes too high.

Finally, dialogue with stakeholders such as AG2R La Mondiale and AXA reveals questions about the evolving role of supplementary insurance and the necessary adjustments in a system undergoing profound change.
The political and economic challenges surrounding the reform of medical deductibles
The implementation of this doubling of medical deductibles takes place in a tense political context. François Bayrou’s government, on borrowed time and facing urgent demands for control of public finances, is moving forward despite the strong opposition of the Health Insurance Council and protests. The choice of this reform is presented as a major budgetary lever, with expected savings of €5.5 billion in 2026 from the Social Security budget.
This desire to save money « on the backs of patients, » according to critics, reflects a logic in which the system’s user becomes a financial contributor to its expenses, at the risk of distorting equal access to care. The question remains: to what extent can health care become a factor in budgetary austerity?

Healthcare professionals in the field are already observing a risk of postponed consultations and an increase in the foregone conclusion of essential care, particularly in areas where poverty is prevalent. This phenomenon jeopardizes prevention and has serious health consequences in the medium term.

Furthermore, this reform weakens the relationship of trust between policyholders and Social Security, pushing some French people toward high-value mutual insurance plans, such as those offered by Mutuelle Générale, MACIF, or Malakoff Humanis, and raising questions about a possible fragmentation of the social security system.
The political calendar plays a key role: the decree could be published in the days preceding the parliamentary confidence vote to avoid any stalemate. This haste reflects the explosive nature of a reform that leaves no one indifferent.