In a column published in the Journal du Dimanche, 45 deputies from all political stripes are asking the government to abandon the plan to reimburse homeopathic medicines.
“Homeopathy responds to a real medical need”: 45 deputies oppose in a forum in the Sunday newspaper reimbursement of these drugs. From the Republicans, the Socialist Party, the UDI, the Republic on the move, the Modem or even Liberties and Territories, these elected officials demand that reimbursement be maintained at 30%.
Arguments in favor of homeopathy
The group of elected officials put forward three arguments against the end of reimbursement for homeopathic products: the fact that they help to reduce the consumption of drugs and that they make it possible to fight against antibiotic resistance, their role in reducing the risks associated with polypharmacy and the interest that homeopathy represents for certain fragile populations such as children or the elderly.
A risk of transfer to conventional drugs
For MEPs, de-reimbursing homeopathy amounts to taking the risk of a “deferral to traditional medicine, which is more expensive and also presents a greater risk of undesirable and side effects”. The idea that this measure would reduce the Social Security deficit seems illusory to them. Homeopathic medicines are used today in a wide variety of cases: some can relieve stress or help treat a cold while others are used for cancer patients.
Full reimbursement in 2021
After analyzing approximately 1,000 studies on the effectiveness of homeopathy, the High Authority for Health decided in favor of the end of its reimbursement last June. In a year and a half, the granules will no longer be covered by Social Security. However, the French favor these drugs. In a Why Doctor survey, 71.5% of respondents consider homeopathic products to be effective, natural and inexpensive. In 2016, more than 129 million boxes were sold for a total of 56 million euros, or 0.29% of the total reimbursements made by Social Security.
