Reform of wheelchair care: what will change

The reform of wheelchair care was announced in 2023 at the National Disability Conference. It introduces comprehensive care for all types of chairs, with a simplification of procedures for users and eligibility for care conditional on prescription.

It will enter into force on 1^er December 2025 and will apply to requests for care made after that date.

The main changes

• Full refund : the reform provides for full reimbursement of the wheelchair, with no user charges, with the health insurance as sole funder. For this, the prescription must have been made by a doctor or an occupational therapist and it must meet a need for disability compensation.
• Additions or options supported on quote within a maximum of 2 months : additions or options to very specific chairs that are not listed in the nomenclature can be reimbursed on estimate, after prior approval from the Health Insurance. The health organization has a maximum period of 2 months to answer. If no answer is given within this period, silence is fine.
• Single Window : Health insurance will centralize claims, which allows “direct access” to care. It will cover all the needs in accordance with the standards and thus relieves the user from having recourse to other financial aid in the event of exceeding the tariff. Single entry will also reduce processing times.
• Support for all models : the reform now includes specific models and chairs dedicated to sports. All vehicles for people with disabilities (HPV) are thus concerned, provided that there is a “valid prescription, established by a trained health professional, that identifies and validates a need for disability compensation”. To benefit from full support, the prescribed equipment must meet the minimum technical requirements described in the nomenclature established by decree.
• No advance charge : beneficiaries will not have to advance the funds for the purchase of equipment; the coverage is made directly on request from the Health Insurance, without advance of costs when professionals are contracted.
• Establishment of a sales limit price : in order to regulate invoicing, the reform sets a sales limit price defined in a notices. This is the maximum amount that the distributor can charge for the product for reimbursement by the Health Insurance. It makes it possible to guarantee that there is no remaining charge for the user, by preventing distributors from charging amounts higher than the negotiated rates. The quote must explicitly mention this price for each item reimbursed.

The reform also provides for the establishment of a steering committee under the authority of the Ministry for Autonomy and Disability. Composed of associations of users, manufacturers, health professionals and distributors, it will be responsible for monitoring its implementation and the necessary adaptations.

Support for sports chairs, reimbursement of the repair costs of a chair, rules in case of rental or renewal... A FAQ from the Ministry of Health, Families, Autonomy and Persons with Disabilities answers all the questions you have about the reform of wheelchair care.