Un centre pour accompagner les femmes atteintes d’endométriose

What does “pris en charge” mean in French?

In French, “être pris en charge” covers two ideas at once. A person can be prise en charge — looked after, cared for. A cost can also be pris en charge — paid for you, covered. You hear this at the doctor, at the hospital, and with insurance. One phrase does the work of several English ones. No single English word captures both meanings.

In the clip, the center offers women with endometriosis “un parcours personnalisé... un parcours entièrement pris en charge” — “a personal care plan... a plan that is fully covered.” The women are cared for, and they pay nothing. The phrase comes from “prendre en charge” — literally “to take into one’s charge.” “Charge” here means a burden or responsibility. Something is taken into someone’s care. In the passive form “être pris en charge,” the subject is either the person being helped or the cost being paid. This construction is everywhere in France — in health, money, and social services. Two examples: “Le patient a été pris en charge par les pompiers” (the patient was looked after by the firefighters). “Les frais sont pris en charge par l’assurance” (the costs are covered by the insurance). One grammar tip: the past participle agrees with a feminine subject — “elle a été prise en charge.”