The Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced on Sunday September 22 the forthcoming creation of a care package reimbursed by Social Security to support patients after cancer.
Good news for cancer patients. While in France, cancer is the first cause of death among men and the second among women, the Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn announced Sunday, September 22, on the plateau of the Grand Jury (RTL-LCI-Le Figaro), the forthcoming creation of a care package reimbursed by Social Security to support patients after cancer. Among them, psychological support, diet and physical activity. This measure is included in the Social Security 2020 budget project which will be presented on September 30.
Psychology, dietetics, physical activity
It will aim “to take care of people who are at a distance from their cancer, whether it is psychological, dietary support, adapted physical activity”, therefore declared Agnès Buzyn, recalling in passing her former function as president of the National Cancer Institute (Inca). “We know how important it is to avoid relapses,” she added. Indeed, many scientific studies confirm that physical activity, practiced regularly, can reduce up to 40% of cancer relapseswhatever the nature of the latter.
Regarding psychological follow-up, most of the time, initial support is offered at the hospital or clinic when psycho-oncologists are present. “They can be relayed by psychologists or psychiatrists in town when support is needed after returning home. Depending on where the patient is being cared for, psychological follow-up is also possible within the health establishment, in external consultation”, explains the inca. Punctual psychological aid also exists in associations helping patients such as the Committee of the National League against Cancer.
“Bring the social security accounts back to balance”
How much will the package proposed by the Minister of Health cost? She declined to comment on the matter. And while, according to The echoes, the deficit of the general scheme and the old age solidarity fund is expected to exceed 5 billion euros in 2019, it also ignored questions about this information. “My objective is to bring the Social Security accounts back into balance, it is very important for the French to know that Social Security is well managed”, she explained after a series of announcements on Emergencies, in order to calm the anger of the strikersEhpad or the payment of alimony.
According to the figures of the league against cancer, in France, cancer is the first cause of premature death before the age of 65 in both men and women. It represents respectively 38% of male deaths and 47% of female deaths over the period 2004-2008. On average, 148,737 cancer deaths are recorded each year (88,378 men and 60,359 women). In 2011, lung cancer remained by far the deadliest cancer in men, ahead of colorectal cancer and prostate cancer. In women, breast cancer kills the most, ahead of colorectal cancer and lung cancer.
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