Cadmium tests can now be refunded in France: who is eligible?
Medical experts say the eligibility criteria are too narrow, does not correspond to risk on the ground
Eligibility criteria for reimbursed screening have been criticised by doctors
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Healthcare groups have warned that new refunds for cadmium screening brought in this week in France do not go far enough in terms of protecting the population.
The refunds, which started Tuesday, June 16, are available for people who are potentially overexposed to cadmium due to their place of residence, in particular where the soil has been previously identified by the authorities as contaminated.
The screening is also intended for those with chronic cadmium intoxication who are already being medically monitored for it.
The test is priced at €27.50 with 60% of the cost reimbursable by l'Assurance maladie. Similar to a doctor’s consultation, patients will have to pay a flat €2 ‘contribution’ fee plus any remaining costs not covered by supplementary health insurance.
However, the eligibility criteria for reimbursed screening have been criticised by medical experts as too narrow.
Doctors warn that restricting eligibility to only those exposed to contamination because of where they live or work risks missing the majority of cases, as most cadmium exposure in France is linked to food consumption rather than direct contact.
Eligibility 'does not correspond to reality'
Cardiologist Dr Pierre Souvet told FranceInfo that the eligibility criteria for the reimbursements "do not correspond to the reality" of the populations at risk of infection.
Around 7,000 sites in France have been identified as having dangerous levels of the carcinogenic metal in the ground but Dr Souvet said that many people who did not live in these areas were just as at risk because of their diet and associated health problems.
Dr Souvet, president of the Association Santé Environnement France (ASEF), an organization of French healthcare professionals concerned with the impact of environmental pollution on human health, offered the example of someone living in Paris - not an area with high cadmium levels in the soil — who might be eating a diet high in foods containing cadmium such as cereals, potatoes and chocolate, and whose risk is heightened by being a smoker and having an iron deficiency.
"If they live in an apartment building in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, they aren't eligible for testing. So it doesn't reflect reality," said Dr Souvet.
"The French are infected and we must give ourselves every means to fight this effectively," said Dr Souvet, before calling on the government to expand eligibility for the free screenings.
A doctor’s prescription is required for the test to be performed. The screening involves an initial urine test to measure cadmium levels. If urinary cadmium levels are elevated, a blood cadmium measurement may be carried out as a follow-up, also covered under the same reimbursement conditions.
These tests are to be carried out in accordance with the recommendations of the Haute Autorité de Santé.
Cadmium is classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction by ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety. It is found naturally in soils and enters the food chain mainly through agricultural products, particularly cereals, bread, potatoes, vegetables and other wheat-based or plant-based foods, as it can be absorbed by plant roots.
A bill aimed at reducing cadmium exposure in France was adopted by the National Assembly on June 3, 2026.
