Legal obligation for healthcare professionals

Article 29 of the PLFSS (Pluriannual Law on Social Security Financing) imposes a legal requirement on specific healthcare professionals and care structures to take part in screening programs, but only when the population's access to those examinations is deemed inadequate.

Details to be specified later

A decree from the Council of State will clarify which healthcare professionals are affected and outline the specific ways they must participate in these programs.

Consequences for non-compliance

Healthcare professionals who fail to meet this obligation face conventional sanctions that are "graded and proportional," meaning the severity of the penalty depends on the nature of the violation.

Conditions for medical imaging centers

For medical imaging centers, the use of heavy equipment will depend on their participation in breast cancer screening exams, linking their operational permissions to public health obligations.

Inequalities in cancer screening

Cancer screening programs face significant disparities in access, with wealthier individuals more likely to undergo these tests. A 2026 study by the Drees found that the wealthiest 10% of the population undergo colorectal cancer screening twice as often as the least affluent 10%.

Aim to reduce disparities and prevent profit motives

This provision seeks not only to reduce these inequalities but also to prevent healthcare actors, especially in the financially driven medical imaging sector, from prioritizing more profitable activities over public health initiatives.