[The foresight behavior of French general practitioners]

In France, "social insurance" is less comprehensive as concerns the independent workers that the salaried employees. Voluntary insurance is therefore a subject of crucial importance for physicians, the large majority of them being in private practice. In 1993, nearly 70% or 75% of French GP's are voluntarily insured against one risk or an other. The older generations have seemingly a lower providence level than the younger. As concerns the "vital" risks (death, disability) the insurance rate is higher among men. For the "minor" risks (e.g. income loss due to illness) women have a higher insurance rate. Effect of income appears for insurance against vital risks but it disappears when a certain income level is reached. Such a level does not exist as concerns the minor risks: the higher the income, the higher the insurance rate.