by Abby Flynn
Bonjour!
This past week in Aix-en-Provence has been nothing short of amazing.
One of my favorite days has been visiting the Toulouse- Lautrec exhibit. We followed along with
his work through individual players, which allowed us to play an audio recording of the piece
after we reached a certain number. It was really nice for everyone to go at their own pace and
appreciate the art. His work was so lovely to see; one of my favorite pieces was of Jane Avril.
She was a French dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. She was known for her jerky
movements and was nicknamed “La Melinite” (meaning “explosive”). In this photo, specifically,
she was sitting in an audience of a theater. Toulouse- Lautrec used abstract elements but
noticeable symbols, like black gloves, to help others recognize what he was painting.
The first two days of classes were focused on the United States healthcare system. Although I
had a bit of prior knowledge, I was really interested in learning why and how this system came
to be, as well as the current problems our country faces. The United States truly is so different
from the rest of the world, and I enjoyed learning more!
Today, we started by learning more about the French healthcare system. It was interesting to
learn how every system prioritizes different areas of improvement and that there’s no correct
way to make a perfect system. We split into groups of three and separately rated 5 categories
(cost, access, outcome, innovation & research, and opinions). After sharing our rankings, there
were no rankings alike. This really highlighted how different countries prioritize different needs
and how there’s no “correct answer”. We also had the privilege of hearing from Professor
Beehary from the IAU this past week about the Healthcare system in France. This has been one
of my favorite speakers, and he made his lecture interactive as well. He shared about the three
key principles of healthcare in France- Equity, Accessibility, and Quality and transitioned into the
history of how the system came to be. One of the most shocking things I learned was how high
taxes are in France. Some of the higher brackets pay 45% of their pay and are okay with it,
mostly because of the care they receive. Another cool thing I learned was that France has a
“Mutuelle,” which is complementary health insurance on top of universal care. Since 2016,
employers have been required to pay at least 50% of this additional healthcare, but most pay
60-70%. It is divided into two sectors. The first sector is the set-fee sector, reimbursed by the
Sécurité Sociale; it is known as the “public” sector. This sector typically has better equipment
and services. The second sector is free to set fees and can charge extra. All workers in this
sector typically start in Sector 1 and move to the “private sector”.
I am so excited to see what the rest of this trip has in store for us! Au revoir!
