Quitting smoking is a long and daunting process, and the electronic cigarette can be a very effective tool for doing so. In addition to greatly reducing the risks linked to tobacco, vaping is cheaper than smoking, and therefore allows you to easily save a lot of money.
Thus, you could be wondering if e-cigarettes are reimbursed by Social Security, as it's an effective nicotine substitute. It would be a nice way of reducing the bill when you're buying your e-cig kit as well!
The French public health authorities cover some of the costs associated with the more traditional nicotine substitutes, so are electronic cigarettes reimbursed as well?
Are electronic cigarettes an effective withdrawal tool?
Vaping isn't regarded as a credible withdrawal tool by a lot of public and private authorities, and it's been the case right from the start. However, electronic cigarettes have come a long way, and they've convinced millions of smokers to reduce or stop their tobacco consumption.
This success can be explained by the fact that you don't necessarily have to quit smoking before switching to vaping. Thus, it gives you plenty of time to equip yourself, find e-liquids you like and adjust your nicotine level. You'll probably reduce your cigarette consumption just by picking up vaping, and it's a great achievement already.
Furthermore, vaping is a pleasant way of tackling your smoking withdrawal. It's not as daunting as having to give up your nicotine addiction straight away. This explains why electronic cigarettes have a record 36% success rate among former smokers, which is way more than any other nicotine substitute.
Knowing this, it's legitimate to wonder if electronic cigarettes are covered by Social Security?
Does Social Security reimburse vaping products?
In France, the state has forwarded the idea of reimbursing nicotine substitutes, but what about electronic cigarettes then? Since 2018, the whole range of withdrawal drugs and treatments can be reimbursed up to 65%.
These measures have evolved, as there isn't a 150€ annual cap anymore. Pharmacies can also provide a fee waiver for these products.
Unfortunately, electronic cigarettes are now categorised as tobacco-related products since the implementation of the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). The French healthcare system covers a huge amount of nicotine substitutes, but no vaping products to date.
Therefore, Social Security doesn't reimburse the latter, as they're not considered as a drug.
For them to become so, it would require specialised companies to apply for drug marketing authorisations, but these procedures are very expensive, and no company has done so yet.
So although electronic cigarettes are the most popular smoking withdrawal method among smokers, it still isn't reimbursed by Social Security.
It's a rather surprising decision on the part of the health authorities, who cannot deny the increasing number of studies that demonstrate the e-cig's effectiveness.
And what about insurance companies?
Social Security might not reimburse your vaping purchases, but health insurance companies think very differently! Indeed, some of them cover electronic cigarettes, depending on the contracts.
Their point of view on vaping clearly isn't the same. It makes sense really, as a policyholder who vapes will most likely cost less to the insurer than a smoker. He won't be ill as much and his life expectancy will increase.
Therefore, it's in the companies' interest to offer insurance plans that cover the cost of vaping equipment or e-liquids!
Some French insurers like Axa, Maaf or Groupama already do it, but the terms and conditions of these reimbursements change from one company to another. Depending on the plan you subscribe to, they either reimburse a fixed sum per year, or a percentage of your purchases.
They often ask for a medical prescription though, and sometimes they only cover specific ranges of products.
More information about electronic cigarette reimbursements
- See which insurance companies cover electronic cigarettes