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When a sociologist questions the different protagonists in healthcare policy, he can only be struck by the repeated use of platitudes, such as the power of the medical profession to disrupt electoral processes. Some – mainly political actors – consider this power to be proven, remembering the supposed political consequences of major disputes in the health sector. Others – mainly journalists and experts – tend to distance themselves from what at first sight may seem a myth that inhibits the ability of the authorities to take action. Although a sociologist must first and foremost try and dispel myths, he must always take seriously any persistence of beliefs that may be held by decision-makers in healthcare policy. As we were taught by Mircea Eliade and Paul Veyne, far from being illusions or fables, myths must be taken seriously, even in our secularized societies. Any public action takes on a symbolic or even mythical importance. This is even truer in a sector such as healthcare that can arouse such anxiety and passions.