The declining reimbursement of tests for laboratories will begin

A Covid-19 screening test in Bordeaux.

(illustration) -

PCR tests remain 100% covered by the Social Security, but the price paid to medical analysis laboratories will now depend on the speed of return of the result, according to a decree published on Sunday in

.

This sliding scale tariff is put in place because the decrease in contamination by Covid-19 “notably involves the massive deployment of screening tests by RT-PCR on the territory, which allows the isolation of people whose infection (…) Is confirmed and the immediate search for their contact persons ”, according to the text of the decree.

However, "to conduct this strategy, it is essential to have the results of these examinations as soon as possible".

Tests will be reimbursed at the highest if they are returned in less than 24 hours, slightly less if they are returned between 24 and 48 hours.

And beyond two days, the test analysis will no longer be remunerated.

These three levels are the result of a discussion between the Health Insurance and the unions of biologists.

Correct drifts

The executive intends to correct the drifts observed during the summer rush on tests, with long queues in some cities and results sometimes delivered with several days late.

Between November 30 and December 6, 75% of validated RT-PCR tests had been taken less than 24 hours previously (compared to 71% the previous week), according to the Statistics Directorate of the Ministry of Health (Drees), and 96% of tests were validated within 48 hours.

Emmanuel Macron had set the goal in his last speech: "At the beginning of January, no test should take more than 24 hours between the test request and its result".

• Social Security

• Covid 19

• Health

• Coronavirus

• Refund