Further Warning on French Health Costs

France's Social Affairs Minister, Simone Veil, has warned the medical profession that despite lower spending in all sectors of the health service, if medical treatment costs are not cut as a result of the latest national agreement with doctors, "alternative scenarios will be brought into play."

Spending by the major health fund, the CNAMTS, stagnated in March, rose 0.2% in April and fell 0.8% in May, thus confirming the deceleration in spending growth reported since the start of the year.

CNAMTS analysts say the slowdown is due for the first time to a simultaneous decline in both hospital and non-hospital sector spending. Spending on fees fell 0.8% in May and drug spending was down 1%. the fund says the trend curve is bending the right way and that the 3.4% spending growth target for general medical care in 1994 is likely to be achieved.