The presentation will give an overview of the French healthcare system and its main institutions with regards to funding, provision of services and public health priority setting. Emphasis will be put on access to services and health outcomes in a comparative perspective with other OECD countries.

This comparison will raise the health disparity issue and that of chronic diseases and lead to explanations regarding how the French healthcare system tackles such issues. Martine M. Bellanger will use some of her research results to illustrate specific challenges of the healthcare system.