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France’s Breast-Cancer Care Law Stalled as Lawmakers Launch Petition Over Missing Decrees

The holdup keeps many patients paying steep pharmacy bills for basic treatment items.

Overview

  • Communist lawmakers launched a petition Tuesday to press the government to publish four decrees that would finally put the unanimously passed law into effect.
  • The measure promises full reimbursement for breast prostheses and adapted underwear and adds a set allowance to cover items doctors prescribe that are not paid for today, such as creams, gels, nail polish, and bandages.
  • Without those decrees, an estimated 700,000 women still face €1,500 to €3,000 in out-of-pocket costs for essential products tied to treatment and recovery.
  • Sponsors blame a lack of political will, tight public finances that push the Budget Ministry to cut costs, and turnover at the Health Ministry for the 15-month delay.
  • Backers say the health minister suggested in October that draft texts went to the Conseil d’État, which reviews such decrees in France, yet none has been published.