French Health Spending Fall Viewed

Lower health expenditure in France in 1994 was due not only to the umbrella agreement on restraint with the medical profession but also to measures taken to withdraw reimbursement, according to the major health fund, the CNAM.

Health spending growth slowed significantly in 1994; the overall increase was only 3.5% against a rise of 5.7% in 1993. Spending growth has, however, picked up again this year, advancing 6.2% in the 12 months to June.

The CNAM says that global reimbursement of medical and dental treatment fees remained stable during 1994. medical fee spending alone advanced only 0.6%, compared with an increase of 3.6% in 1993. Pharmaceutical spending increased only 0.8% in 1994 compared with a rise of 7.5% in 1993, but hospital spending was up 5.7% over 1993 levels.