Is the executive about to break his promise? Last April, Emmanuel Macron announced that “manual and electric wheelchairs will be fully reimbursed” and “starting in 2024.” During his general policy speech a few weeks ago, Gabriel Attal confirmed that Health Insurance would cover 100% of the “reimbursement of wheelchairs for those who need them.”
But associations and users are worried today about a possible drop for budgetary reasons, especially at a time when Bruno Le Maire is preparing to announce a savings plan of at least 10 billion euros, according to L’Opinion.
Excluded models?
The price of a manual wheelchair today can reach up to 10,000 euros, that of an electric one up to 50,000 euros. Health Insurance reimburses up to 600 euros in the first case and up to 5,200 euros in the second. The departments, through the disability compensation benefit (PCH), usually contribute up to several thousand euros to the financing.
Recently, the government presented a draft of the new nomenclature to the actors in the sector, a copy of which AFP was able to consult. It provides for an increase in the reimbursement base (2,600 euros for a manual chair, 18,000 euros for an electric one) and sets a limit sales price. This means that models priced below these limits will be fully refunded, but others will no longer be supported.
Under these conditions, almost all of the chairs used would no longer be refunded, APF France Handicap warned. “The latest elements we have in the framework of our conversations with the administration mean that we are not moving towards full support and even less so for all models of wheelchairs,” confirmed Malika Boukebeur, advisor to the national association BFMTV.
The government intends to continue discussions
“It is not up to par, there is a desire to contain spending,” MP Sébastien Peytavie also lamented to AFP. This elected environmentalist launched a petition asking the government to honor its full refund promise: it has already collected 60,000 signatures.
The Ministry responsible for Persons with Disabilities, for its part, indicated that “the work” continues with “all stakeholders” to “find the best approach” so that “everyone can have access to a chair that meets their needs” from of this summer. . “Wheelchairs, manual or electric, will be 100% covered by medical insurance and complementary medical insurance,” deputy minister Fadila Khattabi told AFP. “It is a question of social justice and dignity.”
Around one million people in France use a wheelchair. Including older people with reduced mobility and people with disabilities and specific needs.
Source: BFM TV
