The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications
The healthcare system in France, once celebrated for its universal coverage and accessibility, now grapples with profound transformations driven by corporatization, polarization, and financialization. Initially founded on principles of solidarity and government support, the system provided ample opp...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Public Health in Practice |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535225000394 |
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| author | Benjamin Marchandot Olivier Morel |
| author_facet | Benjamin Marchandot Olivier Morel |
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| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The healthcare system in France, once celebrated for its universal coverage and accessibility, now grapples with profound transformations driven by corporatization, polarization, and financialization. Initially founded on principles of solidarity and government support, the system provided ample opportunities for doctors to practice either in public hospitals or private settings, with fees regulated to ensure affordability. However, recent decades have seen a shift towards agreements that allow specialists to charge additional fees beyond standard rates, which are covered by private insurance or paid directly by patients. The landscape is further complicated by demographic shifts such as an aging population and rising incidences of chronic diseases, exacerbating healthcare demand while the supply of medical professionals stagnates. Urbanization has concentrated medical services, leading to dominant practices in certain specialties and longer waiting times, especially in rural areas. Financialization has emerged as a pivotal force, with private investors increasingly influencing healthcare delivery. This trend is evident in sectors like medical biology and radiology, where consolidation and profit maximization strategies may prevail, potentially compromising care quality and access. While financial influx may temporarily address funding gaps, it also risks eroding professional autonomy and patient care standards. These developments mark a schism from traditional values of the French healthcare as a public good, raising concerns about equity, regulation, and the ethical implications of intertwining medical practice with financial imperatives in France. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d11ccc1afebd48c896f2eccc0ad08366 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2666-5352 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health in Practice |
| spelling | doaj-art-d11ccc1afebd48c896f2eccc0ad083662025-08-20T02:02:19ZengElsevierPublic Health in Practice2666-53522025-06-01910062010.1016/j.puhip.2025.100620The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implicationsBenjamin Marchandot0Olivier Morel1Research Unit - UR3074, Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Strasbourg, France; Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; HEC Paris, Business School and Grande Ecole, Jouy-en-Josas, FranceResearch Unit - UR3074, Translational Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Strasbourg, France; Department of Cardiology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France; Hanoï Medical University, Hanoï, Viet Nam; Corresponding author. Strasbourg University Hospital, Cardiology Department Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, BP 426, 67091, Strasbourg, France.The healthcare system in France, once celebrated for its universal coverage and accessibility, now grapples with profound transformations driven by corporatization, polarization, and financialization. Initially founded on principles of solidarity and government support, the system provided ample opportunities for doctors to practice either in public hospitals or private settings, with fees regulated to ensure affordability. However, recent decades have seen a shift towards agreements that allow specialists to charge additional fees beyond standard rates, which are covered by private insurance or paid directly by patients. The landscape is further complicated by demographic shifts such as an aging population and rising incidences of chronic diseases, exacerbating healthcare demand while the supply of medical professionals stagnates. Urbanization has concentrated medical services, leading to dominant practices in certain specialties and longer waiting times, especially in rural areas. Financialization has emerged as a pivotal force, with private investors increasingly influencing healthcare delivery. This trend is evident in sectors like medical biology and radiology, where consolidation and profit maximization strategies may prevail, potentially compromising care quality and access. While financial influx may temporarily address funding gaps, it also risks eroding professional autonomy and patient care standards. These developments mark a schism from traditional values of the French healthcare as a public good, raising concerns about equity, regulation, and the ethical implications of intertwining medical practice with financial imperatives in France.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535225000394FinancializationFranceHealth care economicsCapital |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin Marchandot Olivier Morel The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications Public Health in Practice Financialization France Health care economics Capital |
| title | The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications |
| title_full | The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications |
| title_fullStr | The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications |
| title_short | The Financialization of Healthcare in France: Trends and implications |
| title_sort | financialization of healthcare in france trends and implications |
| topic | Financialization France Health care economics Capital |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666535225000394 |
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