Country Correspondent: Paul Dourgnon
Although France has one of the lowest out-of-pocket health expenditure rates among wealthy nations, it ranks poorly on rates of patients skipping needed care because of costs. Following a successful experiment in the Gard region of southern France, a network of units aimed at tackling patients who skip needed care has been rolled out in 101 local public health insurance offices. The units aim to identify people who are likely to skip care based on patient data from doctors, social workers, and nongovernmental organizations. Working with these patients, their medical providers and caregivers, and a social worker, the units will then design an individualized plan for the patients to re-engage with their health care. So far, 35,000 insured people have benefited from the program.
