French Govt To Ease 1998 Health Spending Targets

A new plan for social security and health spending controls introducedby French Labor Minister Martine Aubry will allow overall health care spending growth of 2.2% in 1998, compared with 1.7% this year.

The easing of the spending growth level has been greeted with relief by both the medical professions and hospital managements together with the major health workers' unions. The health care budget will rise from 600.2 billion French francs to 613.6 billion francs ($103.82 billion).

Hospital spending growth is set at 2.2% after a target of 1.2% this year - a move described by Francis Peigne of the hospital medical practitioners' union as a "whiff of oxygen" after the "asphyxia" of the previous regime. The financial sanctions of the former Juppe plan are to be retained, though general medical practice spending will be allowed to rise by 2.1%.