ABSTRACT
Private medicine coexists with public care in the French health care system. Deconcentration and decentralization appear to be major trends in the evolution of French medical institutions. Regionalization of health services is one of the solutions proposed for a better distribution of resources. Health care is principally funded by the government through the Social Security system. Social Security is based on the principle of income redistribution rather than being a pure insurance scheme. In the past, the operating budget of French hospitals was based upon a standard daily rate. Health care expenditures account for about 8.2% of the French Gross National Product. There are 128,000 physicians in France, double the number a decade ago. As elsewhere, health care in France is increasingly costly. The complexity of the French health system explains the difficulty of regulatory measures in lowering expenditures.
