French lawmakers have voted unanimously to ensure breast cancer patients no longer have to pay out of pocket for the replacement of implants or medical tattoos after a mastectomy. The lower-house Assemblée Nationale approved a bill for social security to take on more of the cost of care associated with breast cancer treatment late on Tuesday, January 28, after the Sénat passed it in October.
Among those patients who have had to remove a breast under a surgery called a mastectomy, many choose to then have it reconstructed with an implant. While this implant can remain in place for many years if there are no problems, some women need a replacement.
Under the bill, the state will fully reimburse any new breast implant, a medical tattoo of the areola and nipple, or an adapted bra to wear afterward. These measures broadly aim to help reduce body-image distress and improve mental health after breast removal.
The legislation further aims to alleviate the costs of initial breast reconstruction, by adapting social security coverage to encompass the higher fees requested by some doctors. Until now, extra costs meant that 15% of patients could not afford to have a breast removed, said Yannick Monnet, the Communist lawmaker who presented the bill to Parliament.
On average patients had to pay an extra €1,400 ($1,460) out of their own pocket in extra fees and other related care, too much for women with lower incomes. Under the new law, social security will also help cover the cost of anti-dryness creams and nail varnish to prevent nails from falling off during treatment, as well as psychological care and physical therapy.
President of the Assemblée Nationale Yaël Braun-Pivet said this month she had been diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago and was undergoing hormone therapy.
According to the World Health Organization, 670,000 women died of breast cancer in 2022, the most common form of cancer among women in most countries.