A week after the publication of the list of twenty serological tests validated by the National Reference Center (Institut Pasteur), the decree and the decree specifying the conditions for reimbursement of these famous tests were published in the official journal this Thursday morning.
A real soap opera as the ever-increasing public continues to flock, with or without a prescription, to laboratories to confirm whether or not they have been exposed to the virus via the detection of antibodies in their blood. If they are neutralizing, these antibodies guarantee a certain degree of immunity, but it is not yet possible to know the duration of their protection in the current state of knowledge.
100% support
The texts published this Thursday confirm the assumption by the Health Insurance of the tests carried out in city laboratory or in the hospital in the six cases recommended by the High authority of health (nursing staff in contact with patients, staff in collective accommodation structures, etc.).
In accordance with the nomenclature of biological acts, the prices were respectively set at 12.15 euros for the automated tests known as Elisa and 9.45 euros for the rapid tests known as TDR. This coverage will be 100% until June 21, date from which it will be necessary to check a certain number of additional traceability criteria, essential for monitoring and managing the epidemic, to continue to benefit from it. .
“Top low” reimbursement price
If the general public can only rejoice in these provisions, the reimbursement price is considered by some biologists as “too low compared to the real cost of the reagent outside Roche technique”, one of the heavyweights of the sector. Without doubt a means for the state to exert pressure to reduce supplier prices. And as for the list validated by the CNR, “it was not accompanied by the study report”, regret these same professionals. “Many automated suppliers have not been evaluated due to the lack of an automated system at the CNR and a lack of partnership with private laboratories,” they continue.
In the absence of self-tests still not recommended by the HAS, pharmacists are pawing to recover part of the screening “windfall” with the performance of diagnostic orientation tests (TROD) in their pharmacies. Nothing has yet been specified on the reimbursement conditions for this last category of kits, which need to be confirmed by a laboratory test when they are positive. Philippe Besset, the president of the Syndicate of pharmacists of France, intends to speak on the subject Friday morning during a more general press point on the “Ségur de la Santé”.
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