Pensions, sick leave, medical deductibles… What does the draft Social Security budget, examined in the Assembly from Tuesday, contain?

The debates in public session must last eight days, before the text is transmitted to the Senate. The government hopes to reduce the Social Security deficit to 17.5 billion euros in 2026.

The Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) for 2026 arrives in the hemicycle of the National Assembly. The text, which was rejected in committee on Friday October 31, is examined in public session by the deputies from Tuesday November 4 and until Wednesday November 12. The version debated, which is that of the government, notably provides for the suspension of the pension reform, a concession made to the Socialist Party so that it does not censor Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

The government has also integrated into this budgetary text elements on complementary health benefits, medical franchises or birth leave, with the general objective of reducing the Social Security deficit to 17.5 billion euros in 2026, compared to 23 billion in 2025. Before the start of the debates in the Assembly and the expected modification of the text, franceinfo takes stock of the main measures defended by the government.

The suspension of pension reform

The announcement was made by Sébastien Lecornu in his general policy declaration on October 14. It was transcribed in the PLFSS in article 45 bis, added by the government by a corrective letter filed on October 23 to the Assembly. Validated in committee, before the overall rejection of the text, this new article aims to “suspend the timetable for increasing the legal age of departure and the duration of insurance”.

Only the generation born in 1964 will benefit from this suspension of the gradual increase in the legal age, but the generations from 1965 to 1968 will be able to retire three months earlier than planned. The method of financing this measure, which will cost 400 million euros in 2026 and 1.8 billion in 2027, according to the government, will give rise to a debate. To finance this suspension, the executive plans to increase the exceptional tax on complementary organizations to 2.05% in 2026 (in article 7) and “a strengthening of the under-indexation of retirement pensions in 2027” (in article 44).

The revaluation of pensions and social minimums

This is an example of measures which do not appear in the initial PLFSS, but which will still be defended by the government. Friday, to try to ensure non-censorship of the Socialist Party, Sébastien Lecornu announced that he was in favor of unfreezing retirement pensions and social minimums for 2026, a position defended by the deputies at the same time in committee. The government planned to make savings of up to 3.6 billion on these subjects. It could compensate for this shortfall by an increase in the CSG on heritage, already approved at the initiative of the left in committee.

Better consideration of women’s careers

This is one of the rare measures improving the benefits of social insurance: women who have obtained additional quarters of contributions thanks to their children will be able to use them to retire before the legal age within the framework of the long careers system, within the limit of two quarters. Furthermore, the reference salary for calculating pensions will be calculated over 24 years (and not 25) for women who have had one child, and 23 years for women who have had two or more children.

The creation of birth leave

Provided for in article 42, this new birth leave should allow parents to take up to two additional months each to welcome their child. The amount of compensation for this leave, which is added to maternity (16 weeks) and paternity (28 days) leave, will be specified by decree subsequently. “Each parent will be able to take the leave simultaneously or alternately with the other, hence the possibility of adding up to four months” to look after your children, we can read in the project presented by the government.

The limited increase in health spending

Health spending, which naturally increases each year by around 4% due in particular to the aging of the population, will be clearly limited: the government sets a national health insurance spending target of 270.4 billion euros in 2024, an increase of only 1.6% compared to 2025. To achieve this, despite price increases planned for certain caregivers, the government plans 7.1 billion in savings in the field of health.

Doubling of medical deductibles

This is one of the most contested measures of this PLFSS – it was also rejected in committee. The government plans to double, by decree, the amount and the ceilings “flat rate contributions and deductibles relating to healthcare procedures or medications”. The deductible on boxes of medicine and paramedical procedures will amount to 2 euros, the flat-rate contribution on medical procedures to 4 euros and the deductible on medical transport to 8 euros, specifies the government.

The fixed contribution and medical deductibles are also extended to consultations with dentists and medical devices, as written in article 18 of the PLFSS. Policyholders currently exempt, or around a third of policyholders, will continue to be exempt, or 18 million people, according to the Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist. During the debates in committee, the deputies spoke out against these saving measures.

The deployment of France Santé centers

“The government has announced the establishment of a network of 5,000 France Santé centers by 2027 throughout the country to improve access to care”is it written in the presentation of the PLFSS. As he announced on Thursday, while traveling in the Channel, Sébastien Lecornu wants to devote 130 million euros in the Social Security budget to the future France Santé centers, which he wants to develop to deal with medical desertification. This sum will be proposed as part of an amendment to the text.

Reducing the maximum duration of sick leave

Facing the “very strong increase in expenses linked to work stoppages”who is not “not sustainable”the government wants to limit “the duration of the initial work stoppage that can be prescribed (one month as a first prescription in the event of hospitalization and 15 days in a general practice, then renewals in increments of two months maximum”. “Work stoppages may go beyond these durations if this is medically justified”specifies the government.

The reasons for the stoppage must appear on the work stoppage. “for purposes of control by Health Insurance”. The precise duration of the limitation on sick leave would be fixed by decree, and the deputies approved this principle in committee, while many professionals are hostile to this measure. The government also wants to put an end to the so-called “non-exempt” long-term illness (ALD) regime, which gives the right to daily ALD allowances and sick leave of more than six months.

The “systematic” use of shared medical records

The Social Security financing bill “includes a measure aimed at making systematic use by health professionals of the shared medical file of ‘My Health Space’, whether to feed it or consult it, to put an end to the redundancy of certain prescriptions and improve the coordination of care”defends the government, which makes professional associations jump.

In the event of breaches, the executive chooses to introduce sanctions. “The maximum amount of the penalty against health professionals is set at 2,500 euros per breach noted, without being able to exceed 10,000 euros per year”specifies article 31. The maximum amount of the penalty against an establishment would increase to 25,000 euros, with a ceiling of 100,000 euros per year.