French Culture Project
by
Jean-Luc
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Do you consider health care a right or a
privilege?
What are two similarities between the French
and American Health Care Systems?
What are some barriers to moving from a ForProfit Health Care System to Universal
Healthcare in the United States?
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Health Insurance obtained through your
employer.
Health plans widely vary.
May be difficult to enroll with pre-existing
conditions.
For-profit or fee for service.
One third of every health care dollar goes to
administrative costs.
Over 50 million people without health
insurance.
Universal Health Care
Couveture Maladie Universelle
which means “health plan for
everybody”
“In the battle over which country, the
UK and US, has the better health
system…the answer to the question is :
France!”
The Times Aug 14, 2009
“Although the French system faces many
challenges, the World Health Organization
rated it the best in the world in 2001 because of
its universal coverage, responsive health care
providers, patient and provider freedoms, and
the health and longevity of the country’s
population. The United States ranked 37.”
Universal Health Care Opposing Viewpoints, 2010
Universal Coverage
Everyone working in France must contribute to the French Social
Security System and everyone is entitled to benefit from it.
Threefold system: Health, Family and Retirement. Each is
financially independent from one another.
The Health System (Assurance Maladie) is based on the concept
of providing a large amount of help for any medical need and
total help when it is serious.
You pay according to your means and you receive (healthcare)
according to you needs.
Universal Coverage (Continued)
To grasp how the French System works, think about Medicare for the
elderly in the U.S., then expand that to encompass the entire
population.
The Family System (Allocations Familiales) is financial help to all
families plus various services such as day-care or vacations centers.
The Retirement system (Assurance Vieillesse) provides minimal
pension to any person who has worked 40 years.
Responsive Health Care Providers
• Big emphasis on preventative care.
• Paid incentives based on patient outcomes.
• Little to no waiting time at doctor’s office.
• In France, one can have a doctor come their house –
S.O.S. Medecins.
• In France, the SAMU* team includes a MD whose
job is to do as much as possible before taking you to
the hospital.
• Pharmacists have the right to give medical advice.
*SAMU: Service d’Aide Medicale Urgente
Patient and Provider Freedoms
• One can go to any doctor or hospital he or she wants.
• One can not be denied due to pre-existing conditions or
poor health.
• The Health Care System is very Family Friendly.
• There is no such thing as a “medical bill” in France.
• Doctors have no educational loans to re-pay for medical
school.
• Practice liability is greatly reduced by a tort-adverse legal
system.
• No administrative cost or overhead to run a physician
office/practice.
Health and Longevity of the
Country’s Population
The French out performs the US across the board in Health outcomes,
i.e., Infant mortality rate, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
On average, the French live 4 years longer than Americans.
The poorest Frenchmen will likely live longer than the richest
American:
35 hour work week
5 weeks minimum vacation time per year
Extended sick days with pay
The Health System (Assurance
Maladie) is a key element of the
French National Identity:
The “Three best symbols of the French
Nation” are the flag, the health system and
the Marseillaise.
For the French, it is just
unthinkable that , if you lose
your job, you also lose your
health plan.
Two Similarities between the French and
U.S. Health Care System
• Both Systems Value Choice.
• In contrast to Canada and Great Britain,
there are no waiting list for elective
procedures.
Barriers to Universal Health Care in
the United States
• Opposition by The American Medical
Association (AMA).
• Control of the Health Care industry by the
Insurance Companies.
• Influence from Pharmaceutical Company.
• U.S. Congress inability to act/make decisions.
“The greatness of America lies
not in being more enlightened
than any other nation, but rather
in her ability to repair her faults.”
Alexis de Tocqueville
An American interested in marrying a
Frenchman (or Frenchwoman) for health
care can go to:
www.seeking_bliss_with_frenchkiss.com
Hunnicutt, Susan (2010). Universal Healthcare Opposing Viewpoints.
Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press.
Moore, Michael (2007). Sicko. Dog Eat Dog Films Inc., The
Weinstein Company.
Steffen, Monika (June 2010). The French Health Care System: Liberal
Universalism. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 35, No. 3.
Dutton, Paul V. (2007) French Lesson: A Model Health care System.
The International Herald Tribune. August 14, 2007.
Rochefort, Philippe (2011). Being Sick in France. Retrieved October
23, 2011, from http://www.understandfrance.org/Paris/Sick.html.
The World Health Organization Assesses the World’s Health
Systems (2000). Retrieved November 16, 2011, from
http://www.who.int/2000/media_centre/press_release/en/.