True or false Are reusable periodic protection reimbursed for all women under 26, as Elisabeth Borne promised?

A way to fight against menstrual poverty, which refers to the inability to obtain hygienic protection due to lack of resources. On the eve of International Women’s Rights Day, on March 8, 2023, Elisabeth Borne announced the establishment of the “reimbursement by Social Security of reusable periodic protection from next year” For “all women aged 25 and under”.

Denouncing a “everyday injustice”the former Prime Minister explained that it would be enough to go to the pharmacy “without prescription” to obtain panties, menstrual cups or washable sanitary napkins. Menstrual poverty affects nearly 31% of menstruating women aged 18 to 50, particularly 18-24 year olds (44%), according to a 2023 OpinionWay survey cited by the government. Ten months later, has the Prime Minister kept her promise?

The uninsured excluded

The Social Security financing law, adopted Tuesday December 26 using article 49.3, clearly specifies the contours of the measure. Article 40 of the text actually provides “coverage of costs relating to the different categories of reusable periodic protection (…) for insured persons menstruating under the age of 26 or beneficiaries of the complementary health protection provided for in article L.861-1″ of the Social Security Code.

Clearly, the reimbursement must concern two categories of people. First, the beneficiaries of complementary solidarity health insurance (provided for in article L 861-1), assistance in paying health expenses for the 6.9 million people with the lowest incomes. The women concerned, even aged over 26, must benefit from 100% reimbursement of reusable periodic protection by Social Security. They are the only ones in this case.

According to the law, other beneficiaries are menstruating people under the age of 26. They are reimbursed up to 60% by Social Security. The rest will be, “in the majority of cases, compensated by complementary organizations”, provides the law. It is therefore not only Social Security which will take responsible for reimbursement, contrary to what the Prime Minister had announced, but rather the mutual insurance companies.

Gold, “nearly 5% of 15 to 24 year olds do not have mutual insurance”, explains Maud Leblon, director of the Elementary Rules association, which fights against menstrual poverty. A figure confirmed by a study published in 2022 (PDF document) of the Institute for Research and Documentation in Health Economics and the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics. “The measure excludes the uninsured who are also victims of menstrual poverty”, specifies the association manager. Basically, the former Prime Minister’s promise on reimbursement is therefore not completely kept.

A measure not yet applied

If Elisabeth Borne had announced the implementation of this measure “from 2024”, to date, the protections have not yet been reimbursed. The government therefore has eleven months left to keep its promise. For the moment, no timetable has been shared, but according to Maud Leblon and Lucie Bourdy-Dubois, president of the pharmacist profession commission of the Federation of Community Pharmacists, the measure should come into force on September 1, 2024.

A few months before its implementation, many details remain to be resolved. The brands and models of the protections concerned by the reimbursement remain unknown. Interested manufacturers must contact the Ministry of Health, which must then draw up a list of eligible products. Contacted on this subject, the ministry did not respond to our requests.

Other questions remain unanswered, observe Maud Leblon and Lucie Bourdy-Dubois. Will an advance fee be imposed on the persons concerned? Reusable protections have an average cost of around 17 euros, according to a study by the comparator Reassure me.

“Some won’t be able to spend that amount.”

Maud Leblon, director of the Elementary Rules association

at franceinfo

In addition, several washable pads and menstrual panties are necessary, so that you can use others during cleaning. “We did not have of information [sur ce point], but the objective is that no one has to pay any costs.”comments Lucie Bourdy-Dubois.