Spending controls reduce health insurance deficit

Two years of cost-cutting under “regime general” has resulted in a better diagnosis for France’s health insurance scheme

France has managed to hold down health spending under the “regime general”, which covers about 80% of the population, and accounts for about 75% of health spending, to €5.9bn ($7.8bn) last year. Government figures showed that this health spending deficit had declined from €8bn in 2005 and €11.6bn in 2004.