Paris, the 6 February 2025
The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced on Thursday, February 6, 2025, the full reimbursement of wheelchairs by social security starting in December 2025. This measure, which users have been waiting for nearly two years, also includes sports wheelchairs; a concrete step forward that is fully in line with the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games.
The French Paralympic and Sports Committee welcomes this long-awaited announcement, which represents real progress for people with disabilities.
In the field of parasport, there are still many obstacles to practice and access to equipment is a major factor. Until now, parasport athletes were most often forced to finance all or part of the purchase of a sports chair or a chair that met performance challenges themselves. The CPSF, as part of its detection program The Succession, has also supported certain young practitioners with an identified profile for competitive practice, by providing assistance with the purchase of a sports chair.
From now on, health insurance will cover a sports wheelchair up to €2400. If the cost of the chair exceeds this amount, which is often the case, a prior request must be made to health insurance, which will then have two months to respond. Otherwise, its silence will be considered tacit acceptance and the chair will be covered.
The reform therefore provides for zero remaining costs and no advance payment. This is a concrete step forward that deserves to be welcomed. There is less than a year left to work on the conditions for implementing this reform and making life easier for users.
Six months after the end of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this news is a sign that the legacy of the Paris 2024 Games, as desired by the CNOSF and the CPSF, continues to be realized in terms of access to sporting practice.
