France

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Health systems in transition
France
la santé publique; HCSP); and (4) the National Health Conference (Conférence
nationale de santé) (the last three advisory bodies are described in section 2.3.7).
This Act on Social Security Finance:
• sets a projected target (ceiling) for health insurance spending for the
following year (ONDAM);
• approves a report on trends in policy for health and social security; and
• contains new provisions concerning benefits, regulation and measures to
reach the target.
The parliament also approves the revenue side of the budget based on the
contribution rates for employers, beneficiaries and employees, and specific
earmarked taxation proposed by the government.
The government, however, retains the leading role in proposing both public
health acts and the annual Social Security Finance Act to the parliament and in
writing the by-laws and decrees that result from the acts passed.
2.3.2 Ministry in charge of Health
The Ministry in charge of Health is the central level of the Administration of
Health and Social Affairs (Administration sanitaire et sociale). It comprises
four directorates, which have the following responsibilities:
• General Directorate of Health (Direction générale de la santé), which
oversees health policy;
• General Directorate of Health Care Supply (Direction générale de
l’organisation des soins), which manages the human and capital resources
of the entire health care system;
• Directorate of Social Security (Direction de la sécurité sociale), which
is responsible for the policies, governance and financing of the social
security system, including preparation of the annual Social Security
Finance Act passed by the parliament; and
• General Directorate for Social Policy (Direction générale de la cohésion
sociale), which is responsible for health and social care for elderly,
disabled or vulnerable people.
Depending on the government in place, the Ministry in charge of Health
may have a different name; it will include the four directorates or fewer and
each of the directorates will be the responsibility of one or more ministers. This