Does the radiotherapy sector really realize “huge margins”?

While the government seeks to reduce health insurance spending as part of the 2026 budget, the CFTC points to radiotherapy. The union denounces “enormous margins”.

The doubling of the medical deductible ceiling, greater control of sick leave … In order to reduce health spending by five billion euros next year, the government announced a series of savings measures. It’s necessary “Response the French”said François Bayrou, July 15.

According to the CFTC, there are other avenues to explore to lighten the health insurance bill, such as the cost of medical transport but also radiotherapy which, “With huge margins, is a real subject”.

Do the radiotherapy centers and firms make great profits on the back of patients and therefore the taxpayer? This is indeed what demonstrates The latest annual report “Charts et Products 2026” health insurance. Radiotherapy, one of the main cancer treatments, is one of the seven health sectors “whose level of profitability questions”write the authors.

Anatomopathology (the morphological study of anomalies), biology, hearing aids, dialysis, nuclear medicine and radiology are also pointed out. The drop in prices for these medical acts, concludes health insurance, “is one of the levers to activate to distribute expenses more equitably”.

According to health insurance, the rate of profitability of radiotherapy establishments reaches 21% on average. For comparison, in France, the average profitability of companies in 2022 was, According to INSEEaround 7%. According to the Court of Accountss, a liberal radiotherapist oncologist affects an average of 35,000 euros net per month. Three years ago, the Court was worried about the increase in radiotherapy expenses. An increase which is “more than proportional” increased the number of patients.

How to explain that radiotherapy is so profitable for the companies that practice it? Health insurance and the Court of Auditors make the same analysis: the problem comes from pricing rules which, in the private as in the public, are very advantageous for establishments. In 2022, the Court of Auditors estimated that the radiotherapy rates were higher on average 75% at the real cost of acts.

There is also, in liberal cabinets, the practice, very profitable, of the supplement. For example, to check that the patient is well positioned on the table before an irradiation session, the radiotherapist will multiply medical imaging. Which allows him, concludes the report of the Court, “To double or even triple the invoice”.