The government wants to reassure future mothers who live far from a maternity hospital.
According to a decree published in the Official Journal on April 14, they will be able to benefit from free temporary non-medical accommodation or a hospital hotel.
The only condition to be eligible: reside more than 45 minutes by car from an obstetrics gynecology establishment.
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In concrete terms, up to five consecutive nights may be covered by health insurance, on the days preceding the date of delivery.
Non-medical accommodation will be located in a separate part of the maternity ward or with a nearby service provider.
Institutions have until October to organize themselves and find infrastructure.
This measure aims above all to "
reduce the constraints linked to the hospitalization
" of patients and to grant "
more flexibility
" to medical teams, according to the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.
Medical examinations planned during the eighth and ninth months of pregnancy may also give rise to accommodation.
Personalized help
The device will be adapted on a case-by-case basis “
according to the opinion of the doctor
”.
For example, if the baby is born after the term of pregnancy, the duration of the accommodation may be extended “
until the actual date of delivery
”.
Same scenario for a high-risk pregnancy where the service can also be “
extended
” and “
offered at any time
”.
Finally, if transport exceeds 45 minutes by road due to weather conditions or road traffic, patients will have the right to request a hospital hotel.
Note that transport may also be reimbursed by health insurance, after prior agreement with the organization.
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If the government is implementing such a measure, it is in particular because of the numerous closures of maternity wards.
According to the Research Department, 221 facilities closed their doors between 2000 and 2017. France had 717 maternity units in 2000 compared to 496 seventeen years later.
These closures have reinforced the distance between the homes of pregnant women and maternity wards.
Over the same period, the proportion of women of childbearing age (between 15 and 44 years old) residing more than 45 minutes away increased by approximately 40%.
In all, between 1 and 2% of this population is affected in France.
