true or false Thermalism: Is it possible to carry out treatment without consulting a doctor?

It’s an event awaited by hundreds of thousands of French people: the spa season will soon begin. Last year, 458,980 patients were treated at one of the country’s 88 spas, a 6.1% increase over the year. Rheumatism, cardio-arterial diseases, and even neurology… Very popular, this medicine – based on hydrotherapy – usually intends to deal with a good number of pathologies, in a very structured form: three weeks of treatment at a rate of two hours. care per day.

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This discipline – recognized by the National Academy of Medicine – is primarily for the treatment of chronic pathologies. However, it is not reserved for patients suffering from this pathology. “Hydrotherapy is a medicine that is open to everyone,” says a specialist doctor who insisted on anonymity. La Dépêche du Midi

. According to professionals in this field, we must keep in mind that spa treatments have nothing to do with “vacation with all expenses paid by social security”, because part of it starts again. Officer of Thermalism.

Patients with recognized pathology

Therefore, only certain patients will be eligible for partial reimbursement from health insurance. This is the case for other people – including children – suffering from chronic pathologies appearing in the list of pathologies covered by social security. In this sense, the organization recognizes 12 therapeutic thermal orientations: rheumatism, respiratory tract, phlebology, neurology, cardio-arterial diseases, digestive system disorders, buco-lingual mucous membrane affections, urinary system disorders, dermatology and gynecology. .

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In practice, a patient suffering from one of these chronic pathologies should first consult their treating physician and request treatment. Later Aadhaar Request Form must be filled (“Cerfa n°11139*02“), specifies the name of the spa and the desired therapeutic approach for the health insurance fund. If the social security responds favorably to the patient’s request, the patient can make a reservation. The health insurance will cover 65% of the costs related to the thermal treatment. And 70% of the thermal monitoring package. %.The remaining 30 to 35% is covered by the patient’s mutual insurance or at their expense as per their contract.

Patients without a prescription

If one wishes to undergo a spa treatment without consulting a doctor or requesting coverage through health insurance, it is entirely possible. However, the patient will have to bear all the costs necessary for his treatment: “In this case, the thermal establishment will have to offer him a meeting with the caregiver for medical follow-up, the expert doctor continues. If the patient refuses this appointment, he will then be released. must be signed.” In this case, the patient remains free to move: the duration of his stay in the thermal establishment is not limited.

As a reminder, for a spa visitor, the average net price of a treatment is around 1,100 euros (transportation and accommodation costs included).