Overview

• The campaign kicks in on September 1, 2025 for the first wave and January 1, 2026 for a second to force a 20% reduction in sick leave prescriptions among the most frequent prescribers.
• Medical unions including MG France have urged targeted doctors to reject the objectives, insisting that most long-term sick leave is medically necessary.
• Practitioners who decline the reduction targets face a ‘prior agreement’ requirement, meaning every sick leave note must be approved by an Assurance maladie medical adviser.
• Controls in 2022 found under 1% of sick leave prescriptions unjustified, prompting concerns that the campaign penalises appropriate clinical decisions.
• The initiative mirrors a poorly received 2023–2024 effort and has drawn criticism over potential harm to patient care and added administrative burdens.