Non-take-up of French universal healthcare coverage and its place on the agenda of the National Health Insurance Fund

Résumé 0

Over the past few years, non-take-up, i.e., the failure to avail oneself of the rights to public services to which one is entitled (Warin 2010), has become the focus of increasing study in France. Combating non-take-up is, for instance, one of the key strategic objectives of the health division of France’s social security service. However, institutional involvement in policy-making is not necessarily the best solution in this arena: implementing programs designed to limit and prevent non-take-up raises questions about the National Health Insurance Fund’s most fundamental principles and its relationship with various segments of the public. It also raises questions about the abilities of its employees and the organizational structure designed to provide rights that are initially insurance-related in nature. The article looks at the process of agenda-setting when it comes to non-take-up of universal healthcare coverage in France and studies how the issue represents a challenge for the National Health Insurance Fund.