Taxi protests: towards a resumption of mobilization in September against medical transport prices

Taxi drivers will mobilize again starting September 5, primarily against the reform of patient transportation costs, Dominique Buisson, secretary general of the FNDT (National Taxi Federation), told AFP on Tuesday. "This mobilization," which saw its first wave in May and June, "is not just for taxi drivers, it's also for policyholders who risk no longer having service providers for their medical transportation," Dominique Buisson said.

A new agreement published in the Official Journal at the beginning of August changed the rules governing how health insurance covers patient transport by taxis, with the aim of reducing its growing costs. These rules will apply from October. Among the changes, the flat rate for patient transport will be standardized at the national level and increased, but costly "empty" returns after dropping off the patient will be strongly discouraged.

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The FNDT estimates the potential loss of revenue from this reform at 30%, while the French health insurance agency claims it will benefit the majority of taxis. However, it expects no less than €150 million in savings, which it deems necessary in the face of the sharp increase in medical transport costs : €6.7 billion in 2024, 7% more than in 2023, and €2.1 billion more than ten years ago.

Taxis are playing an increasingly important role and are now responsible for almost half of the costs, compared to less than 20% at the beginning of the 2000s. They have especially taken over the share of light medical vehicles, which are cheaper according to health insurance. For Dominique Buisson, medical transport is becoming more and more expensive, particularly because patients have "more appointments" and have to travel further and further away due to "the distance from healthcare centers."

The vast majority of taxis (85%) provide patient transport, according to the FNDT. This activity is often essential for their business: reimbursed transport represents half of the turnover of taxis with an agreement, according to the Social Security, and even up to 80% for some drivers. A meeting between taxi federations will be held on Wednesday to define the details of the mobilization, which could include blockades in symbolic places in Paris as in May. "We already have ideas, but we will discuss them together," said Dominique Buisson.