ASISP Annual National Report 2009: Pensions,Health and Long-Term Care
Résumé
Overall, the structure of the French pension system has not changed radically in 2008. The
main measure legislated in the largest statutory scheme – the régime general – has been the
gradual increase in the duration of insurance from 40 years in 2008 to 41 years in 2012. At the
end of March 2009, the social partners have also decided to maintain the rules that currently
govern indexation mechanisms in Agirc and Arrco, two supplementary schemes that
constitute a large part of pensioners’ incomes. A number of measures aiming at promoting
longer working lives have also been implemented, but they remain insufficient if France is to
reach the Lisbon employment rate targets. Social science research has shown that legislative
changes curbing opportunities for early retirement have had a negligent effect on the
employment of the elderly. The labour market participation of the elderly has been at the
center of recent political debates on the evolution of the French pension system. The idea of
increasing the statutory retirement age has been gaining momentum in recent months. Other
important changes that are being considered by pension experts but also by political elites are
a reform of “family advantages”, i.e. pension bonuses offered to pensioners who have had
children or to widow(er)s, as well as the replacement of all existing pay-as-you-go schemes
by a single notional defined-contribution (NDC) system. While an NDC system would
certainly improve the transparency of the French pension system, it is doubtful whether such a
system will be capable of ensuring adequate pensions for the increasing number of workers
employed in non-standard work arrangements.
France is used to alternate pension and health care reforms. Important years for pension
reforms have been 2003 and 2007/2008, when 2004 has been a very important year for health
care reforms. In 2008, no important reforms have been implemented in health care (due to the
preparation of the presidential elections in spring 2007 and the important pension reforms in
fall 2007 and in spring 2008 – RDV 2008 – presented in the pension section). In late 2007 and
in 2008, various measures have mainly been aimed at finding new resources for avoiding the
health insurance deficit to grow too importantly. However, a new important structural reform
has being prepared and discussed. However, the discussion of this new reform "Hôpital,
patients, santé, territoire" has constantly been postponed and has been presented to the
Parliament only in Spring 2009, and is still not adopted in May 2009. This project has been
subjected to many criticisms, especially from the medical profession, who went several times
on strike and demonstration to oppose some main elements of this reform. Little by little,
most of its planned content has been soften to respond positively to the doctors' anger. It is
planned that this new law will further push decentralisation within the French Health care
system, by the creation of new Regional Health Agencies, in charge of the health policy at the
regional level.
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