From decrees to decrees, the Covid-19 is gradually emerging from the daily life of the French. Nearly a month after the announcement of the abandonment of several emblematic “test-trace-isolate” devices, a decree published Tuesday, February 28 at Official newspaper provides a new framework for the care screening tests for Covid-19. From 1er March, they will no longer be 100% reimbursed by Medicare.
Only the “more fragile” will continue to benefit from full coverage, even in the absence of a medical prescription: people aged 65 and over, those under 18, patients with long-term illness (ALD) and pregnant women, who can benefit from an exemption from medical expenses under maternity insurance). In addition, professionals in the medical and medico-social sectors, as well as people undergoing collective screening organized by a regional health agency or a prefecture, are logically covered at 100%.
For the rest of the population aged 18 to 65, the rules of common law will now apply, with the reintroduction, for all antigenic tests or PCR, ofa co-payment, that is to say the part of health expenses that remains the responsibility of the patient once Medicare has reimbursed its share. Concretely, it is expected that the insured pay 30% of the cost of the test if it is carried out by a doctor or a pharmacist and 40% if it is by a nurse or a masseur-physiotherapist. In pharmacies, an antigen test costs 16.50 euros, compared to around 30 euros for a PCR test carried out in a laboratory.
But, “for the vast majority of policyholders who have additional cover, the remainder will be zero. The same is true for beneficiaries of complementary health insurance., specifies the general direction of health, in a press release sent on Tuesday. Nearly 3 million people are not covered by complementary health insurance, despite the generalization of company contracts, i.e. 5% of the population, according to figures from the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES) dating from 2019.
Additional barrier to screening
In addition, the distinction between vaccinated and non-vaccinated, who until then had to present a certain number of conditions for free access to the tests, such as a medical prescription, is no longer mentioned in the texts. “It will simplify things for us not to ask for the vaccination statusbelieves Philippe Besset, president of the Federation of Pharmaceutical Unions of France. For the rest, in pharmacies, we are used to managing third-party payment. »
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