Country Correspondent: Paul Dourgnon
To date, a number of reports have pointed to problems in access to medical care in rural and semiurban areas of France. To improve access, the public health insurance agency (L’assurance maladie) announced that telemedicine visits will be reimbursed starting in September 2018. In addition, “tele-expertise” — seeking advice from other medical professionals using telemedicine technology — also will be reimbursed. The move is expected to improve access in particular for older adults who often face physical difficulties accessing medical facilities.