French Health Insurance to Detail Costs with Every reimbursement, Aiming to Curb Deficit & Fraud
PARIS – Starting September 26th, France’s national health insurance, Ameli, will begin sending an email notification for every reimbursed health expense, a significant shift in communication intended to increase transparency around healthcare costs and combat a growing financial deficit. The move, announced by deputy director Marc Scholler, marks a proactive effort to engage policyholders in understanding the financial implications of their care.
The initiative responds to a widening deficit within the French healthcare system, which reached €13.8 billion in 2023.While health insurance is a basic right in France, many insured individuals are unaware of the actual costs associated with medical appointments and procedures, and the system’s financial strain is prompting a new approach focused on collective vigilance. Ameli hopes to empower patients to verify reimbursements and identify potential fraud, ultimately safeguarding the system’s long-term sustainability.
“Health is priceless, but it has a cost,” Scholler stated in a recent LinkedIn post.the new system aims to “inform without feeling guilty” and “strengthen vigilance” by providing a detailed record of each reimbursement.
Currently, policyholders receive reimbursement notifications, but the new process will trigger an email each time an expense is covered, prompting users to log into their Ameli account for a complete breakdown. This increased level of detail is designed to allow individuals to confirm that only services actually received are being billed to the system.
Ameli officials believe this increased transparency will foster a sense of shared duty and help to limit fraudulent claims. The organization is relying on the “collective vigilance” of the French public to help identify and report discrepancies.
Recent cases of healthcare fraud,such as the prosecution of a taxi company manager for a €2.2 million scam against the health insurance system,underscore the need for heightened oversight. Ameli recently proposed 60 measures to save the French health system, including preventative care initiatives and expense management strategies.
