L’endometriosis affects one in 10 women in France. A chronic inflammatory gynecological disease that causes severe pain was recognized as a long-term condition by the National Assembly in early 2022. Women who suffer from it are considered by banks and insurance companies as people with an increased health risk, which complicates their subscription to loan insurance as part of a real estate project. Fortunately, thanks to Lemoine’s lawaccess to mortgage insurance has been more inclusive since June 2022.
Endometriosis: new ALD?
The National Assembly voted unanimously on 13 January 2022 a solution supported by Clémentine Autain, MP for LFI, allowing recognize endometriosis as a long-term condition (ALD). This vote came two days after Emmanuel Macron announced: “Endometriosis is not a women’s problem. It is a social problem”. The President then launched the first national endometriosis control strategywhere the approach is more medical than societal.
By recognizing the ALD nature of endometriosis, the legislature opens the way to 100% carer reimbursement from social security, sick leaveor even disabled worker status. Endometriosis involves some 2.5 million French women in childbearing age.
Very often diagnosed late after many years of suffering (from 7 to 10 years), endometriosis is characterized by migration of endometrial cells out of the uterine cavity. These cells will then attach to organs and tissues and create painful areas of inflammation. This condition rots young women’s everyday life from their first period, affecting their chances of having a child and becoming one source of uncertainty disrupts work and family life.
Unfortunately, LFI’s decision did not no binding valueit is a simple recommendation addressed to the government, which seems to have chosen a different path than the inclusion of endometriosis in the list of ALD (ALD 30) favoring the implementation of a strategy to combat endometriosis via a research and education program for relatives.
However, it is possible to get a refund Amelie 100% within the ALD framework, to support i so-called off-list mode (ALD 31)if the attending physician or occupational physician prescribes one work stoppage for a period equal to or more than 6 months.
Today, only 7,000 women with endometriosis benefit from the ALD 31 framework, out of the 2.5 million affected patients. Inclusion of endometriosis on the ALD 30 list would allow systematic and uniform supportwhich entails exemption from advance fees, reimbursement of hospital transport and a reduction of the waiting period for sick leave, for 3 years.
Endometriosis, a debilitating disease
To fully understand the issue of this resolution adopted by parliamentarians, here is some data provided by Follow Metrios*, an information website specializing in endometriosis:
- 80% of women affected by endometriosis say that they limited in their daily tasks ;
- 40% have fertility disorders ;
- 20% suffer fromone or more concurrent diseases.
A global study has shown that endometriosis leads to significant loss of productivity at work. For patients, any professional project can be jeopardized by this disease, which will have consequences for their economic future. Without a good one mutual healththe remainder to be paid is considerable due to the many expenses associated with this serious illness.
Endometriosis is a chronic and progressive disease that can cause work stoppages when the symptoms become too severe. A woman affected by this pathology is branded with a hot iron if she wishes to incur a housing loan to finance the purchase of a homebecause access to loan insurance may be rejected due to serious health risks.
It is still expected that the legislature does include endometriosis on the ALD 30 listwhich would provide better access to the reimbursement of often expensive care, consultation and examinations and to an adaptation of the working conditions for the patients.
Borrower insurance for endometriosis
That subscription to a borrower’s insurance going through the decisive phase of mortgage insurance questionnaire. If the question about endometriosis is not asked head-on, the form will seek to know if the person suffers from it chronic pain and fatigueas well as the dates of the latest sick leave and their causes.
The candidate must report illness if the diagnosis is known, whether she benefits from the ALD 31 framework and if not, answer precisely the questions that will enable the insurer’s medical adviser to identify increased risks which will lead to either a refusal of borrower’s insuranceor use of additional premiums or exclusions of guarantees.
If accepted, death benefit is always acquired. For disability and invalidity guaranteeswill the increased health risks reduce coverage due to exclusion of complications due to pathologies can affect the entire digestive, urinary and genital sphere. Some insurance companies use additional prizes if they grant the benefit of ITT Warranties (Total and Temporary Incapacity for Work, activated when work is stopped due to illness or accident), IPT (Total Permanent Invalidity) and IPP (Partial Permanent Invalidity).
The candidate can claim Convention of Aera (Insurance and loans with worsening health risk) for a closer examination of his insurance application, even if endometriosis is not yet on the reference list.
Banks that are not very accommodating to people who have aggravated risks are strongly advised to approach alternative insurance companies, such as Magnolia.fr, which offers contracts with tailor-made guarantees, up to three times cheaper, and to use a home loan insurance comparator to put the offers in competition and find it most suitable competition formula.
The Lemoine Act for Better Access to Loan Insurance
The rules on borrowers’ insurance have been changed very recently with the entry into force on 1 June 2022 of Lemoine’s law, an entity that aims to make access to this expense necessary to obtain a mortgage loan fairer, simpler and more transparent. Besides allowing all borrowers change borrower’s insurance always Lemoine’s law delete the health questionnaire under certain conditions:
- the sum insured must be less than €200,000;
- the mortgage must be repaid before the 60th birthday by the borrower.
Provided these two conditions are met, the borrower, whether sick, previously sick or in good health, does not need to complete the subscription questionnaire, which normally informs the insurance company of his health information.
That women with endometriosis entitled to this scheme can therefore access to insurance and mortgage loans without having to inform the insurance company of their pathology. A standard rate will be applied to them without any additional premium or exclusion of warranty. Although loan insurance rates in this segment have increased due to increased pooling, people who were once discriminated against because of their health obligations can now realize their real estate project without prohibitive additional costs.
*Follow Metrios has developed an application that allows the user to follow her disease, its development and its symptoms, to communicate directly with doctors and benefit from advice to improve her quality of life.
