France, Surgical Procedure Volumes

France, with a population of more than 64 million, has one of the highest levels of healthcare spending in Europe. France represents the leader among the European Union (EU) countries of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom in terms of healthcare spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), with approximately 11.2% of the country’s GDP spent on healthcare in 2005.

To provide its citizens universal access to quality healthcare, the French government offers state-controlled programs administered by local governments and sickness funds. Sickness funds, designed to be self-supporting through payroll contributions, have been subsidized by the government since the 1990s. Private sector activity has been limited to supplemental commercial insurance used to upgrade public benefits and to private services that have been financed either out of pocket or at low reimbursement rates set by healthcare agencies. Private sector activity has increased with cutbacks in public outlays as certain national programs seek to operate with limited capital. National healthcare services are funded with general revenues.

Healthcare providers in France are commissioning studies to explore the cost effectiveness of medical products, requiring product manufacturers to demonstrate not only safety and clinical efficacy, but also cost effectiveness. In addition, administrative personnel and clinicians share the responsibility of product selection, and as hospital administrators may favor cost effectiveness or practice guidelines over the features and benefits of the products, manufacturers are advised to broaden their marketing style, emphasizing the fulfillment of the organizational needs of national healthcare delivery systems. As private insurance outlays increase, manufacturers are expected to market their products to both the public and private sectors at affordable costs. Although entirely publicly owned hospitals are rare, the public sector controls an estimated 65% of hospital beds.

This report presents an overview of selected open and laparoscopic surgical procedures and the number of these procedures performed in the EU country of France.