On Sunday, the average price of diesel in France reached a new record of 2.41 euros per liter. Meanwhile, the flat-rate allowance given to nurses to compensate for travel expenses, funded by the Social Security Fund, has remained fixed at 2.75 euros since January 2024, according to the Convergence infirmière union. This allowance is meant to help cover the costs of traveling to patients' homes, but it has not changed despite rising fuel prices. Nurses can sometimes claim additional mileage allowances based on the number of kilometers they travel, but only if they are visiting patients in a different urban area. For instance, a nurse visiting a patient seven kilometers away from their office would charge 7.25 euros for the service, which includes both the medical act and travel expenses. However, the travel itself costs 6.02 euros, leaving the nurse with only 1.23 euros for a 25-minute intervention—less than 3 euros per hour before taxes and social charges. Convergence infirmière explains that this situation is repeated for other services like dressing changes, infusions, and blood tests, and that nurses are essentially losing money by providing care at patients’ homes. In rural areas and on the plains, nurses can claim an extra 0.35 euros per kilometer, but the tax administration recognizes a cost of 0.43 euros, the union says. The travel allowance is supposed to cover not only fuel but also the purchase of the vehicle, insurance, tires, maintenance, and repairs. Ghislaine Sicre, president of Convergence infirmière, emphasized that nurses are not asking for special treatment, but for the allowance to actually cover the real costs of travel. She warned that if the financial burden becomes too great, nurses might no longer be able to provide home care, pushing patients toward overburdened hospitals. The collective of angry private nurses, known as Cilec, also stressed that nurses are not asking for help, but for reimbursement of the expenses they incur when visiting patients. They noted that private nurses provide care in areas where there are no longer any doctors and are the most affordable and accessible part of the health system. Refusing additional funding, they argue, risks shifting patients to more expensive care options. Both Cilec and Convergence infirmière are calling for a significant increase in the flat-rate allowance—3.50 euros for Cilec and 4 euros for dependent patients—and for the allowance to be adjusted according to actual fuel prices. They also want priority access to fuel during shortages. The government is set to announce new support measures for those most affected by the rise in fuel prices on Tuesday, September 22. With limited budgetary flexibility and ongoing international pressures, ministers will present various initiatives aimed at helping households, businesses, and vulnerable sectors during a press conference at Bercy.