The Medef suggests savings of “up to 6.5 billion” for health insurance by 2026

Faced with the ongoing increase in healthcare expenses, the Medef announced on July 9, 2025, a set of proposals aimed at making substantial savings, estimated up to 6.5 billion euros, starting from the 2026 health insurance budget. Through 93 measures, this employer organization intends to influence healthcare financing levers and contribute to stabilizing the health system, which is threatened by a growing deficit. Among the key recommendations are: the introduction of unpaid waiting days, the flat-rateing of daily allowances, and the widespread use of Mon Espace Santé. These measures reflect a call for a more disciplined management of expenses and an ambitious health policy in a context where demand for care is expanding due to demographic aging.

This plan, presented as a tool to ensure the sustainability of health insurance, already sparks intense debate within the medical sector. The Medef justifies its participation in the debate by emphasizing the important role of employers in health financing, through employer contributions and other schemes. Highlighting the need for decisive action, the organization invites to revisit traditional practices and improve the quality of medical services, notably through performance indicators related to major chronic diseases. The objective to reduce costs should be seen as a balance between economy and maintaining care quality, a crucial requirement marking this new course for health insurance.

Waiting days: a major lever for savings on health insurance

The implementation of one or more unpaid waiting days, not reimbursed by Social Security or employers, is one of the most notable proposals highlighted by the Medef. This measure aims to limit short-term sick leave which burdens healthcare expenses heavily. Currently, the waiting period in the private sector is not uniform, with some employers still covering these days, which can represent a significant cost in funding health insurance.

The Medef suggests mandatory application of an public-order waiting day for all private sector employees, thus harmonizing the system with existing schemes in certain sectors, notably banking. This standardization should allow a significant reduction in costs for health insurance while making insured persons more responsible. It is also proposed that, starting from the third sick leave in the calendar year, the coverage of waiting days be suspended, thereby reinforcing this incentive effect to limit repeated absences.

• 📌 Harmonization of waiting days for all private employees
• 📌 Suspension of coverage from the third sick leave per year
• 📌 Reduction of direct costs related to short-term sick leave
• 📌 Deterrent effect on unnecessary sick leaves

Within an integrated health policy framework, this proposal aims to balance expenses while maintaining a protective framework for genuinely ill employees. The mechanism proposed by the Medef encourages the rationalization of sick leaves, which can help contain the growth of expenses and thus reduce the health insurance deficit.

Proposed measure 📋	Economic objective 💰	Expected impact 📊
Mandatory waiting day for all sick absences	Reduce unnecessary benefit payments	Estimated reduction in costs related to short sick leaves
Suspend funding of waiting days from the 3rd sick leave	Limit repetitive absences	Better responsibility for insured persons

For further insights, specialized analyses such as those offered by Le Quotidien du Médecin or economic summaries on Boursorama can be consulted.

Flat-rate of daily allowances: simplifying healthcare financing

The Medef also proposes the flat-rateing of daily allowances paid by Social Security. Currently, these vary according to several criteria, notably salary, with a range between 0.5 and 0.7 of the minimum wage. This variability complicates administrative management and incurs significant costs in control and payment processes.

The implementation of a single flat-rate would allow for greater transparency and a reduction in management costs, while ensuring faster, standardized payments to insured persons. This proposal aims to reduce healthcare expenses without penalizing employees, especially those in more precarious situations. However, the Medef emphasizes that the flat-rate should not be set too low to avoid negative consequences for those without supplementary guarantees.

• ⚙️ Standardization to facilitate allowance management
• ⚙️ Reduction of administrative costs for Social Security
• ⚙️ Improved predictability of expenses
• ⚙️ Necessity to maintain a minimum income level

The technical aspect of this proposal requires consultation work to precisely set the flat-rate scale. Discussions around this measure concern the social protection of the most vulnerable employees, who could be disadvantaged without adequate supplementary health coverage. In this sense, the issue is far from being settled and calls for a comprehensive overhaul of healthcare financing.

Criterion 🔍	Current situation 📆	Medef proposal 💡	Expected consequence 📈
Allowance calculation	Varies according to salary, between 0.5 and 0.7 of minimum wage	Single flat-rate for all	Administrative simplification
Social impacts	Complementary schemes often necessary	Maintaining a minimum income for all	Reduction of inequalities

For more information on this complex reorganization of the health system, consult notably Assurances.fm and Le Moniteur des Pharmacies.

Digitization and “Mon Espace Santé”: a necessary step to control expenses

The widespread adoption of “Mon Espace Santé” is among the key proposals from the Medef aiming to reduce costs and improve the relevance of care. This digital portal, accessible to all insured individuals, centralizes medical information and facilitates the secure sharing of data among healthcare professionals.

The Medef advocates for systematic consultation of this space by doctors before certain prescriptions and examinations to avoid unnecessary redundancies, which is an effective lever for streamlining healthcare expenses. This approach is part of a broader strategy to improve quality and monitor professional practices in the medical sector.

• 📲 Facilitate access to reliable medical data
• 📲 Reduce redundant examinations and prescriptions
• 📲 Support coordination among healthcare professionals
• 📲 Improve the quality and relevance of care

This digitization is a fundamental element to ensure better control of expenses amid the ongoing evolution of healthcare demand. The expected benefits go beyond mere savings, also touching on health security and ensuring smoother care pathways.

Functionality 💻	Economic implication 💵	Impact on the health system 🏥
Systematic consultation by doctors	Reduction of unnecessary acts	Better care coordination
Centralization of medical data	Time savings and reduction of administrative costs	Information security

To understand the concrete implications of this digitalization, it is recommended to consult notably BFMTV or Aide BTS Assurance.

Quality and performance in the medical sector: towards remuneration based on efficiency

An important aspect of the Medef’s proposals concerns improving the quality of care and integrating performance into the remuneration of healthcare facilities. The suggestion is to develop specific indicators related to professional practices, focusing particularly on the 10 most widespread chronic conditions.

By reserving tariff increases only for public and private hospitals capable of demonstrating improvements in the quality of their services, this approach encourages a healthcare policy more focused on concrete results benefiting patients and the overall effectiveness of the system.

• 🎯 Development of quality and performance indicators
• 🎯 Prioritization of major chronic diseases
• 🎯 Direct link between quality and hospital remuneration
• 🎯 Encouragement of innovation and performance

This orientation is considered, by experts, a major challenge in controlling healthcare expenses and in the continuous improvement of medical services offered to the population. It calls for a rethinking of resource allocation criteria in an increasingly strained health system.

Criterion 📝	Implementation 🔧	Economic consequences 💸
Performance indicators for 10 major diseases	Systematic evaluation via audits	Optimization of expenses
Quality-remuneration link	Tariff increase conditioned on performance	Establishment of a true cost policy

To deepen this approach, one can consult articles such as Le Figaro or Echos Plus.

Medef and healthcare spending management: the role of employers in healthcare financing

The active involvement of the Medef aligns with recognizing the predominant role of employers in healthcare financing. According to Patrick Martin, “the Medef is legitimate in speaking out” on this issue because employers contribute directly or indirectly to the tune of 110 billion euros via employer contributions, provident schemes, and accident insurance contributions.

This financial weight gives the employer organization a particular responsibility in defining health policies and cost reduction strategies. A more balanced governance and strengthened dialogue with sector stakeholders are thus necessary to ensure the sustainability of the health system.

• 🏢 Direct contribution of employers to financing
• 🏢 Influence on provident schemes and supplementary health insurance
• 🏢 Incentives for cost-saving and efficiency measures
• 🏢 Need for a partnership with the medical sector

It is worth noting that social tensions may arise from these proposals, requiring careful management of discussions to avoid conflicts that could harm the overall social climate. For better understanding of these issues, consult detailed analyses from Aide BTS Assurance.

Aspect ⚖️	Role of employers 👔	Impact on the health system 🏛️
Overall financing	110 billion euros annually	Indispensable support for health insurance
Complementary schemes	Management of collective provident schemes	Social shock absorber

Cost reduction and care relevance: the strategic axes of the Medef

The quest for financial savings in the Medef’s proposals is accompanied by a desire to strengthen the relevance of provided care. Systematic follow-up of prescriptions and a fight against redundant examinations and prescriptions are at the heart of this strategy. The effectiveness of medical services cannot be separated from the quality of the care pathway and thorough review of practices.

Social security actors must blend this imperative to economize with heightened attention to the medical value of acts. This dual approach guarantees a delicate balance between expense reduction and maintaining high standards of care for the population.

• 🔎 Systematic monitoring of prescriptions
• 🔎 Fight against redundant examinations
• 🔎 Improve coordination among healthcare professionals
• 🔎 Integration of digital tools to optimize pathways

The implementation of these axes relies on digital tools and enhanced training, vectors of a modern, efficient health policy. Consulting specialized articles, such as those available on Pourquoi Docteur, helps better understand the challenges of this cost-control policy.

Strategic axes 🛠️	Proposed actions ⚙️	Expected effects 📈
Care relevance	Standardization of prescriptions	Reduction of unnecessary expenses
Digital utilization	Mandatory Mon Espace Santé	Streamlining and savings

Aiming for a sustainable health system: challenges and prospects of the proposed reform

The reform project presented by the Medef responds to the urgent need to financial recovery of the health insurance system. The budgetary balance is threatened by the continuous rise in healthcare spending, driven by increased demand due to demographic growth. In this context, mobilizing 6.5 billion euros in savings appears as an ambitious and necessary goal.

The challenge lies in implementing measures that respect social balances while significantly reducing costs. The future of healthcare financing depends on close collaboration among all stakeholders, including the medical sector, employers, and public authorities. A reformed, more transparent governance is essential to ensure this transition’s success.

• ⏳ Risk of budget overruns if no action is taken
• ⏳ Importance of a coordinated and gradual reform
• ⏳ Need to balance economy and quality of care
• ⏳ Perspectives for a durable security of the health system

This outlook requires collective and renewed commitment, as well as regular assessment of the effects of adopted measures. To closely monitor legislative and regulatory developments, the site Aide BTS Assurance offers updated resources.

FAQ: Key questions about Medef’s proposals on health insurance

• ❓ What are the main objectives of Medef’s proposals?
  The measures aim to reduce healthcare expenses, improve the quality of care, and ensure the financial sustainability of health insurance in the short and medium term.
• ❓ How will the proposed waiting days be applied?
  These days would be mandatory by public order, not reimbursed by Social Security nor paid by employers, with coverage suspension starting from the third sick leave in the calendar year.
• ❓ What are the consequences for employees?
  Employees may see a reduction in daily allowances, especially those without supplementary health coverage, but the implementation of a flat-rate aims to limit inequalities.
• ❓ What role does Mon Espace Santé play in these proposals?
  It becomes an essential tool to optimize prescription relevance, reduce redundancies, and promote care coordination.
• ❓ Is the medical sector involved in these reforms?
  Yes, Medef emphasizes the need for quality and performance indicators, with remuneration linked to improvements in professional practices.

Source: www.lefigaro.fr