Following the adoption of the Projet de loi de financement de la sécurité sociale (Social Security Financing Bill 2026) on 16 December 2025, the Ministère de la Santé, de la Famille, de l’Autonomie et des Personnes handicapées released a detailed summary of its structural measures. The announcement, PLFSS 2026 : des mesures structurantes pour renforcer la prévention, les soins et l’innovation (Social Security Financing Bill 2026: structural measures to strengthen prevention, care and innovation), clarifies the financial expectations for the medical sector.
The government aims to achieve substantial savings through what it describes as a renovated regulation. This involves €1.4 billion in price reductions for medicines, with an additional €200 million specifically targeted at generic drugs. Medical devices are also subject to €200 million in price cuts. These measures are designed to balance the funding of breakthrough therapies with the need to control the Objectif national de dépenses d'assurance maladie (National Health Insurance Expenditure Target).
In addition to direct price interventions, the bill maintains the safeguard clause mechanism. This ensures that industrial actors provide a financial contribution if pharmaceutical expenditure exceeds the forecasts established in the Loi de financement de la sécurité sociale (LFSS). The authorities have indicated that these data are monitored closely to prevent budgetary overruns while maintaining patient access to essential treatments.
Other innovations include the mandatory use of the Dossier médical partagé (Shared Medical Record) by health professionals and the deployment of 5,000 Maisons France Santé (France Health Houses) by 2027. These reforms, alongside new status for young doctors, seek to improve coordination and geographical coverage.
The implementation of these measures will involve stricter price negotiations and a narrower focus on the cost-effectiveness of established products. Manufacturers will face heightened pressure to justify the value of their portfolios against a backdrop of mandatory rebates and systemic spending caps.
Source: Ministère de la Santé, de la Famille, de l'Autonomie et des Personnes handicapées
Link: Social Security Financing Bill 2026: structural measures to strengthen prevention, care and innovation
Date: 17 December 2025