Relations between the government and supplementary health insurance companies remain tense. This Thursday, October 23, the director of Social Security, Pierre Pribile, defended the surcharge of one billion euros destined for health coverage contracts marketed by mutual societies, insurance companies and pension institutes, included in the social security financing bill (PLFSS).
This exceptional tax was announced at the beginning of 2025 by Catherine Vautrin, then Minister of Health, without being applied. “It has already been billed” to the insured, since the complementary organizations passed on their cost to their insured as of January 1, through an increase in their rates, explained Pierre Pribile, during a conference organized by the Association of Social Information Journalists (Ajis).
To finance the suspension of the pension reform, these organizations will have to contribute more, around 2.25%, according to the draft amending note presented to the Council of Ministers this Thursday, October 23.
Supplemental medical insurance used to finance the hospital.
Another transfer of costs from Health Insurance to mutual insurance companies, of 400 million euros, is planned to finance the hospital perimeter.
For their part, mutual insurance companies warn that the exceptional contribution will increase the cost of complementary health insurance.
“Any tax automatically entails an increase in contributions,” the president of France Assureurs, Florence Lustman, reacted to AFP, judging this exceptional contribution “irrational, irresponsible and cynical, because it will weaken the health of the French.”
Last year, “when they told us about these transfers, that is, one billion euros more in benefits that we would have to pay in 2025, the additional rates were already set,” he stated. According to her, the increase in prices is not explained “by the anticipation of transfers that did not occur”, but by “the increase in consumption of care expenses.”
The president of the French Mutualité Éric Chenut denounces a “appalling” decision. “How would it be legitimate to tax supplementary health insurance (…) to finance the impact of the suspension of pension reform?” ask. “Health financing is already problematic enough when we see the deficit in health insurance, the transfers planned for this year, the new expenses that must be faced if we want to take the preventive turn,” he adds. He also describes as “fake news” the fact that the exceptional tax announced by the Bayrou government has already been reflected in prices.
Source: BFM TV
