Left-wing parliamentarians strongly criticized on Thursday Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s wish to reduce “significantly” care covered by State Medical Aid (AME) to which undocumented immigrants are entitled, in response to a request from the National Rally. “The Prime Minister is definitely turning his back on the Republican front. It is, as (Gérald) Darmanin asked him last night, towards the extreme right that he is turning to avoid censorship. And it is on the restriction of state medical aid, the pillar of our humanitarian and health policy, that this alliance of shame will be sealed”castigated the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, on X. Former Macronist Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau, member of the PS group in the National Assembly, considered that Mr. Barnier’s project was “indecent, odious”. “The government is giving in to the RN in defiance of all considerations of health and humanity”he wrote on the same network, expressing his “anger”.
The president of the La France insoumise deputies, Mathilde Panot, judged that the Prime Minister was giving in “to the crassest racism”. “He will have the censure he deserves,” she shouted. “The RN is the crutch of the Barnier government. The Prime Minister is therefore reduced to making the AME a bargaining chip to stay in power. Without regard for the thousands of vulnerable people and the advice of health professionals,” lamented her counterpart from the environmental and social group, Cyrielle Chatelain.
Put under pressure from the far-right party a few days before crucial deadlines on the social security budget, Michel Barnier made several concessions, in an interview with Figaroon the AME but also on the electricity tax, which he refuses to increase beyond its pre-crisis level. “We are not going to eliminate it (the AME), but the “basket of care” covered will be significantly reduced”he said. “In addition, we are going to initiate a reform of the AME next year to avoid abuses and misappropriations.”
In a press release published Thursday, the RN requests that the AME be lowered “drastically”. Eight former health ministers affirmed in a column in September that restricting or eliminating this aid for undocumented immigrants would have consequences. “unacceptable health, human, social and economic consequences”. Michel Barnier had already pleaded at the end of October for a “expense control” of the AME, calling on Parliament to take “all measures to ensure that they no longer progress”. In committee on November 12, senators cut 200 million euros from the AME budget, out of a total of 1.3 billion planned for 2025.
In 2024, the AME envelope planned by the State stands at 1.2 billion euros, or approximately 0.5% of the health expenditure planned by the Social Security budget (PLFSS). At the end of 2023, there were 466,000 beneficiaries. This assistance concerns medical and dental care, reimbursed medications, analysis and hospitalization costs, as well as those relating to certain vaccinations and certain screenings, contraception and abortion.
Source: www.liberation.fr
