The National Rally wishes to facilitate access for women victims of this gynecological disease to long-term condition status, which is currently very difficult to obtain.
It is a disease that affects nearly 10% of women, but which remains little known. Endometriosis, at various stages, causes severe gynecological pain, whether menstrual or not depending on the stage, and can go so far as to cause infertility. This is why many associations are calling for simpler access to long-term illness (ALD) status.
>> REPLAY – Endometriosis: how to manage women’s suffering?
A bill brought by the National Rally to the National Assembly thus wishes to grant the 1.5 to 2.5 million women in France suffering from endometriosis an “exempt” ALD status and to grant those who do so. wish to have the status of disabled worker.
A difficult status to obtain
Indeed, currently, endometriosis is considered a long-term off-list condition, or “ALD 31”: this means that the duration of validity of this condition is defined by the doctor. Furthermore, the criteria are very strict: the treatment must include drug treatment or equipment, and meet at least two criteria among future hospitalization, repeated technical medical procedures, repeated biological procedures and frequent and regular paramedical care. …
Today, less than one percent of women affected by the disease benefit from this ‘ALD 31′, primarily because of doctors’ reluctance, according to Priscilla Saracco, who heads the EndoMind association: “Doctors do not want to make the request. According to our study, the first problem that emerges is that the general practitioner considers that endometriosis is not serious enough, that patients do not need an ALD”, she tells franceinfo.
The associations are therefore calling for its classification among the “ALD 30”, the listed long-term conditions, alongside, among others, cancers, multiple sclerosis, the most serious types of diabetes, etc. In this case, the duration and recognition of the coverage of these “ALD 30” is fixed by decree and is easier to obtain. It also opens up the same rights: 100% reimbursement of care linked to the condition, and better reimbursement for sick leave.
An essential criterion, according to Priscilla Saracco: “We are in a disease where women who only have pain during their periods, because some have pain all the time, can take time off on the first or second day of their period without having a significant loss of salary”she points out.
Patient associations would also like these women, who suffer from endometriosis, to benefit from the status of disabled workers if they wish.