This was what private practice doctors in France had called for when they sounded the alarm in June 2025 about the “cadmium health time bomb,” and it was also a promise by the then health minister, Yannick Neuder: screening for this carcinogenic heavy metal, present in most people living in France, will soon be reimbursed. “Implementation is expected this summer,” the French government said.
Assurance maladie, France’s national health insurance, and representatives of medical biology laboratories reached an agreement in early April. Assurance maladie will cover 60% of the price of the test, set at €27.50. Supplementary health insurance will cover the remainder. As doctors had requested, it will now be possible to prescribe this test, using a urine or blood sample, in private practice, whereas until now it was only reimbursed in hospitals.
Is this enough to satisfy them? Not really. According to the agreement signed by Assurance maladie and the medical laboratory unions, screening will be available only to “people potentially overexposed to cadmium due to their place of residence.”
You have 83.37% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
