Effective October 1, 2026, the reimbursement program for reusable menstrual products has faced challenges right from the start. Several pharmacies do not yet carry these products or have questions about the billing procedures and tracking of purchases. However, the program provides coverage for people under 26 and, regardless of age, for recipients of the supplementary health insurance program (complémentaire santé solidaire).
Products Hard to Find in Pharmacies
In the pharmacies surveyed, the new reimbursement program is not always accompanied by a visible product offering. A pharmacist in Pantin, in Seine-Saint-Denis, explains that he does not plan to sell these products due to lack of space and because, in his view, it is not part of his business. In a rural town in the Ardennes, Fabrice Camaioni says he doesn’t know how to bill the products to the national health insurance program.
Menstrual underwear and menstrual cups may be hard to find, missing from the shelves, or not offered for sale. This slow start contrasts with the program’s stated goal: to help combat period poverty through reusable products.
Dispensing rules that raise questions
The program applies to purchases made at pharmacies. People under the age of 26 are eligible for coverage of two menstrual products per year, with the National Health Insurance covering up to 60% of the cost; supplemental health insurance may cover the remainder. Recipients of the Solidarity-Based Supplemental Health Insurance are entitled to 100% coverage, regardless of their age.
Pharmacists’ representatives are particularly concerned about how to verify eligibility and the number of products already obtained at another pharmacy. Cyril Colombani, spokesperson for the Union of Community Pharmacists’ Unions, considers the system to still be unclear and believes that conducting a check at the time of each dispensing would be difficult to implement.
Guidelines published by the Health Insurance Agency specify that billing must be processed through the dedicated system for products listed on the list of products and services, and that the Vitale card must be used. They also indicate that an online service allowing users to view dispensing history will be expanded in November. ()
Listing of the Products in Question
Concerns also center on the available products and their quality. Maud Leblon, from the organization Règles élémentaires, questions the impact of the price cap—up to 19 euros for a pair of panties—on product listing. She fears that high-quality models made in France will be less widely available and that some products may contain plastic or phthalates, among other things.
According to official rules, only reusable panties and menstrual cups listed by the Ministry of Health are eligible. The limit is two products over a 12-month period, calculated from the date of the first purchase. ()
Source: 20Minutes – A (www.20minutes.fr)
Original article: View the original source
Author: 20 Minutes with AFP
