The administrative procedures that a person affected by a heart rhythm disorder or heart incident have to undertake include, in some cases, those linked to the Recognition of disabled worker status (RQTH), issued by the Commission for the Rights and Autonomy of Persons with Disabilities (CDAPH). Certain heart rhythm disorders make it possible to benefit from this scheme, which grants specific rights and allows certain adjustments to be made to help people continue or resume work. Such conditions include heart failure, which can lead to the need to limit straining at work and make adjustments to workstations.
Obtaining Recognition of disabled worker status (RQTH)
To benefit from RQTH, you firstly need to request a no. 15692*01 CERFA form, available on the Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH) website. To support your application, you will be asked to provide a medical certificate dating less than six months detailing your health issues and any repercussions on your ability to work. Other documents may be added, such as reports of operations or certificates from cardiologists, for instance. Anything that helps the CDAPH to make their decision is useful.
The complete file must be submitted to the MDPH, either online or a paper version, depending on where you live. A multidisciplinary team from the CDAPH will then study it, and grant the recognition for a renewable duration of one to five years.
In any case, it is possible and highly recommended to contact associations helping people suffering from heart rhythm disorders (see box), which are particularly helpful when it comes to such practical matters.
Automatic recognition is granted if…
Some people may automatically benefit from an RQTH, without needing to request it. This includes those affected by a work-related accident or illness leading to at least a 10% permanent incapacity and those who have been granted an obligatory social protection regime, disability benefits, a disability card, or an adult disability allowance (Allocation Adultes Handicapés – AAH).
What are the consequences of a RQTH?
Once the RQTH has been obtained, the employee may benefit from a certain number of measures. Firstly, adapting workstations, with flexible hours, more frequent breaks, reduced equipment and reduced physical loads, for instance. The employee also benefits from additional protection against redundancy. They can have access to specific equipment, a reduction in physical workloads, as well as work training programs specially designed for disabled persons.
Employability is also facilitated via access to jobs reserved for disabled persons, since companies with 20 employees or more must have at least 6% of their workforce made up of disabled workers. The RQTH also facilitates access to public sector jobs and allows adjustments when sitting exams.
Finally, employees who have been granted a RQTH can benefit from the Cap Emploi specialized support network, which is part of the Job retention scheme for disabled workers (Service d’Aide pour le Maintien dans l’Emploi des Travailleurs Handicapés – SAMETH), and funding provided by the Association de Gestion du Fonds pour l’Insertion Professionnelle des Personnes Handicapées (AGEFIPH) and Fonds pour l’Insertion des Personnes Handicapées dans la Fonction Publique (FIPHFP), which promote the vocational integration of disabled workers in private and public sector jobs.
In certain cases, if the minimum number of trimesters have been completed, the RQTH may also grant early retirement from 55 years old.
Dedicated associations
A certain number of specialized associations support people suffering from heart issues, as well as their loved ones. Among them is the AMRYC, the Association des Maladies héréditaires du Rythme Cardiaque, and the Alliance du coeur, which brings together various associations across France. More specialized associations include the, Association des porteurs de dispositifs électriques cardiaques (APODEC), the l’Association pour les patients insuffisants cardiaques et leurs proches (ASPIC), and Coeur des Mamans Priorité Prévention, not forgetting the Association vie et coeur avec insuffisance cardiaque (AVEC), created for patients and their loved ones.
