The upper house largely adopted an amendment to this effect, to which the National Assembly could return.
On Tuesday, November 7, the Senate adopted the abolition of state medical aid (AME), intended for undocumented immigrants, and its replacement by “emergency medical aid” during the examination of the immigration bill. This reform was introduced by an amendment from the senatorial right, which the government did not oppose.
The Minister for Health Professions, Agnès Firmin Le Bodo, justified the government’s position by the fact that this reform “has nothing to do” in the immigration bill, paving the way for a withdrawal of this amendment by the National Assembly, which will in turn examine the text from December 11.
The Minister of Health points to “a mistake”
“Mixing the debates on the AME and immigration control is nonsense”, declared Agnès Firmin Le Bodo in the Senate, controlled mainly by the right, ensuring that “the government is very attached to the AME”A “public health device”. Elisabeth Borne, in particular, had defended its usefulness. Before her, however, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin had declared himself in favor “personally” to a restriction of this device.
Despite everything, the government relied on “wisdom” senators on this reform proposal. Demanded for a long time by the right, it was voted for by 200 votes in favor and 136 against.
If it came into force, emergency medical aid would replace the AME and would be “refocused” on support “serious illnesses and acute pain”, as well as prophylaxis, according to the article adopted, reducing the basket of care currently granted to some 400,000 beneficiaries. The measure must also allow for care related to pregnancy, vaccinations and preventive medicine examinations.
If emergency medical aid was not rejected in the National Assembly, it would lead to “real risks for our healthcare system”, explained Agnès Firmin Le Bodo. On the other hand, the government “is not at all closed on the AME, and is ready for other avenues of evolution to be explored“, she declared. In the meantime, the vote in the Senate is “a profound error” And “even a mistake”lamented the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau in the show Daily.