The French Healthcare System

1. The French Healthcare System French Culture Project by Jean-Luc

2. Questions to Consider • Do you consider health care a right or a privilege? • What are two similarities between the French and American Health Care Systems? • What are some barriers to moving from a For-Profit Health Care System to Universal Healthcare in the United States?

3. Current Health Care System in the U.S. • Health Insurance obtained through your employer. • Health plans widely vary. • May be difficult to enroll with pre-existing conditions. • For-profit or fee for service. • One third of every health care dollar goes to administrative costs. • Over 50 million people without health insurance.

4. Universal Health Care Couveture Maladie Universelle which means “health plan for everybody”

5. “In the battle over which country, the UK and US, has the better health system…the answer to the question is : France!” The Times Aug 14, 2009

6. “Although the French system faces many challenges, the World Health Organization rated it the best in the world in 2001 because of its universal coverage, responsive health care providers, patient and provider freedoms, and the health and longevity of the country’s population. The United States ranked 37.” Universal Health Care Opposing Viewpoints, 2010

7. Universal Coverage Everyone working in France must contribute to the French Social Security System and everyone is entitled to benefit from it. Threefold system: Health, Family and Retirement. Each is financially independent from one another. The Health System (Assurance Maladie) is based on the concept of providing a large amount of help for any medical need and total help when it is serious. You pay according to your means and you receive (healthcare) according to you needs.

8. Universal Coverage (Continued) To grasp how the French System works, think about Medicare for the elderly in the U.S., then expand that to encompass the entire population. The Family System (Allocations Familiales) is financial help to all families plus various services such as day-care or vacations centers. The Retirement system (Assurance Vieillesse) provides minimal pension to any person who has worked 40 years.

9. Responsive Health Care Providers • Big emphasis on preventative care. • Paid incentives based on patient outcomes. • Little to no waiting time at doctor’s office. • In France, one can have a doctor come their house – S.O.S. Medecins. • In France, the SAMU* team includes a MD whose job is to do as much as possible before taking you to the hospital. • Pharmacists have the right to give medical advice. *SAMU: Service d’Aide Medicale Urgente

10. Patient and Provider Freedoms • One can go to any doctor or hospital he or she wants. • One can not be denied due to pre-existing conditions or poor health. • The Health Care System is very Family Friendly. • There is no such thing as a “medical bill” in France. • Doctors have no educational loans to re-pay for medical school. • Practice liability is greatly reduced by a tort-adverse legal system. • No administrative cost or overhead to run a physician office/practice.

11. Health and Longevity of the Country’s Population The French out performs the US across the board in Health outcomes, i.e., Infant mortality rate, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc. On average, the French live 4 years longer than Americans. The poorest Frenchmen will likely live longer than the richest American: 35 hour work week 5 weeks minimum vacation time per year Extended sick days with pay

12. The Health System (Assurance Maladie) is a key element of the French National Identity: The “Three best symbols of the French Nation” are the flag, the health system and the Marseillaise.

13. For the French, it is just unthinkable that , if you lose your job, you also lose your health plan.

14. Two Similarities between the French and U.S. Health Care System • Both Systems Value Choice. • In contrast to Canada and Great Britain, there are no waiting list for elective procedures.

16. Barriers to Universal Health Care in the United States • Opposition by The American Medical Association (AMA). • Control of the Health Care industry by the Insurance Companies. • Influence from Pharmaceutical Company. • U.S. Congress inability to act/make decisions.

17. “The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.” Alexis de Tocqueville

18. An American interested in marrying a Frenchman (or Frenchwoman) for health care can go to: www.seeking_bliss_with_frenchkiss.com

19. References: Hunnicutt, Susan (2010). Universal Healthcare Opposing Viewpoints. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. Moore, Michael (2007). Sicko. Dog Eat Dog Films Inc., The Weinstein Company. Steffen, Monika (June 2010). The French Health Care System: Liberal Universalism. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 35, No. 3. Dutton, Paul V. (2007) French Lesson: A Model Health care System. The International Herald Tribune. August 14, 2007. Rochefort, Philippe (2011). Being Sick in France. Retrieved October 23, 2011, from http://www.understandfrance.org/Paris/Sick.html. The World Health Organization Assesses the World’s Health Systems (2000). Retrieved November 16, 2011, from http://www.who.int/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/.