November 20, 2006
In France there is universal health insurance coverage
In France there is universal health insurance coverage, but benefits are limited and insurance products that fill in coverage gaps in public insurance are popular. A practice known as balance billing, where a physician asks the patient to pay the difference between the cost of a procedure and what public insurance is willing to pay, is quite widespread: nearly one-third of specialist visits result in such billing.
Nine out of 10 French citizens now supplement their public coverage with private insurance, up from 86 percent in 2000, the report says.
Generic Alternatives Not Addressed Results in Over Payments
Most doctors do not discuss generic brand alternatives when prescribing drugs to patients. In a UCLA research study, only 33% of the time did doctors talk with patients about medication cost alternatives vs brand names.
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