The French are far from all equal when it comes to health expenditure. We could suspect it, but a study published this Friday, May 5 by the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) confirms it. We discover in particular that the French spend an average of 2,750 euros each year on their health in 2018. Beyond this average, the organization reveals that the disparities between individuals have a significant effect on this figure.
Geography first. “The maximum difference between the lowest average expenditure per patient (2,290 euros in Loire-Atlantique) and the highest (3,550 euros in Haute-Corse) is 1,260 euros”, explain the authors of the study. . More precisely, the average expenditure increases in the rural departments, but also in Corsica or in the overseas departments, or even around the Mediterranean.
This local disparity can be explained by the demographic characteristics of the departments in question. Rural areas tend to have an older population, which therefore requires more medical support.
Income matters too
Another element that may seem curious, expenditure is higher among both the poorest and the richest. “The most precarious patients are likely to need more care, even if they are also the most affected by the renunciation of care”.
In the departments with a higher average income, the organization explains this increase by the greater density of medical supply. This explanation is favored in the Mediterranean region, for example, which has a large number of practitioners, while rural areas such as Creuse or Corrèze can be classified as medical deserts.
The remaining charge also varies.
Of the 2,750 euros that each French person spends on their health, a large part is covered by health insurance. On average, it takes care of 82% of health expenses in the country, which leaves 18% to be paid, for an average expenditure of 490 euros. But at the end of the day, the disparities continue to exist. On the podium, we find Paris, Hauts-de-Seine and Yvelines.
These differences, which can be very significant, are essentially explained by the physicians’ pricing policy. Certain acts or consultations carried out by specialists are in fact more often subject to fee overruns. The study also makes the link with the average income of the departments, which encourages people to call on doctors with free pricing: “a higher standard of living is linked to better financial access to the healthcare system, even to a greater willingness to pay for better deadlines or a more selective choice of professionals, potentially leading to more fee overruns”, explains the Drees.