topics
tools
editor's choice

NS fears empty trains

40.000 signatures to prevent early release of Fortuyns killer

Dutch unemployment up sharply

Listing of international schools in the Netherlands

Guide to public transport in the Netherlands

Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2117.66 -0.08
DAX 6323.19 -0.26
IBEX 30 6401.2 -2.17
CAC 40 3042.97 -0.16
FTSE 100 5356.34 0.09
AEX 292.76 0.00
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13057.26 -0.74
TSX Composite 11532.48 -0.38
ASX 4120.2 0.96
Hang seng 18800.99 0.47
Straits Times 2787.22 0.52
ISEQ 20 501.76 0.16
You are here: Home Health & Fitness Healthcare A guide to healthcare in France

Healthcare

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


01/12/2011A guide to healthcare in France

A guide to healthcare in France Expatica's handy guide below will soothe the aches and pains for understanding the French healthcare system.

France offers a vast choice of general practitioners and healthcare specialists, part of its mammoth social security system which, although very expensive and a constant source of funding worry, is one of the finest anywhere.

French employees see about 20 percent of their gross salary, deducted at source, to fund the social security system, referred to as Sécurité sociale. A large part of this goes into public healthcare, to which every legal resident of France has access under the law of universal coverage, la Couverture maladie universelle. Indeed, this right to healthcare is a highly prized value of the French social model.

Anyone in France can consult any doctor or specialist, regardless of whether the patient is affiliated to the French social security system or has private medical insurance.

There are more than 3,000 hospitals in France, generally of the highest quality. Everyone has the right to emergency hospital treatment, regardless of their health insurance coverage, and for those who subscribe to Sécurité sociale it is partly reimbursed. In the case of minor injuries, you can also choose your own hospital and or emergency service.

Healthcare in France

Medical coverage: the State

If you subscribe to the French social security system, whether as an employee or self-employed, most of your healthcare needs will be partially reimbursed, albeit at different rates.

Generally speaking, Sécurité sociale refunds 70 percent of medical fees. Under new legislation, however, aimed at cutting health service costs, all patients are now required to register with a médecin traitant, a general practitioner or family doctor, in order to receive the full reimbursement.

You are free to choose any general practitioner you want and change them for any reason; the same is true with any specialists although if you want to be reimbursed for visits to any kind of specialist, your médecin traitant must first make the referral. (See "Picking a primary doctor in France" for more on how this works.)

The fees are set by the government for all doctors who have signed a contract with the Social security system, médecins conventionnés. (A médecin conventionné à honoraires libres is part of the system but is approved to charge different, that is, higher fees; these are usually specialists. A médecin non-conventionné is not part of the system and his or her fees will not be reimbursed.)

Gynaecologists, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, psychiatrists and dentists are all also covered by the state without referral by the médecin traitant; minor children can also visit any doctor without a médecin traitant.

If you have a medical problem that may need specialist treatment, it is generally necessary to be referred for this by the médecin traitant in order to be eligible for are reimbursement, for example with physiotherapy, laboratory examinations or X-rays. It's always best to check first about coverage for any non-emergency treatment.

Medicines and drugs are refunded by Sécurité sociale on varying scales, from 35 to 65 percent; many pharmacies will now offer you generic versions of brand-name drugs that may not be covered by Sécurité sociale.

Medical coverage: private insurance

To make up the difference of what the State does not cover, it is common in France to also subscribe to a private medical insurance policy, mutuelle. There are dozens of mutuelles, some of which are specific to types of profession and some of which cater to English speakers. If you're an employee of a company, most likely you will be able to join the company's policy as part of your benefits package.

Most of these companies will reimburse the remaining 30 percent of your general healthcare costs, including emergency hospital treatment. Consult your policy, however, to verify the details of what is covered and at what rate.

If your income falls below a certain ceiling and do not have a mutuelle, you are also eligible to complementary state-funded healthcare, CMU complémentaire, that will pick up what regular reimbursements do not.

There is no state coverage for consultations with psychologists and psychoanalysts, osteopaths or chiropractors; again, consult your policy for coverage for any of these kinds of treatments.

For prescriptions, your mutuelle may also offer partial or total refunds depending upon your specific policy.

Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Travel & Transport in the Netherlands

Buy fake passports, driver's licenses, identity cards

Religion & Spirituality in the Netherlands

Buy fake passports, driver's licenses, identity cards

Music in the Netherlands

Buy fake passports, driver's licenses, identity cards

Eating & Drinking in the Netherlands

Buy fake passports, driver's licenses, identity cards

Shopping in the Netherlands

Buy fake passports, driver's licenses, identity cards

participate in the forums

Health & Fitness essentials
Health & Fitness expert Q&A
ask your question
Health & Fitness A-Z listings
find the business you need
Inside Expatica
Setting up home in the Netherlands

Setting up home in the Netherlands

A guide to telephone, internet and television along with utility services water, electricity and gas in the Netherlands.

Dutch immigration and residency regulations

Dutch immigration and residency regulations

Lost in the Dutch immigration system? Look no further than this guide compiled for our Survival Guide 2012.

A brief introduction to the Netherlands

A brief introduction to the Netherlands

Expatica offers a whistle-stop tour of life in the modern Netherlands.

Giving birth in the Netherlands

Giving birth in the Netherlands

The challenges and benefits of the maternity system in the Netherlands and how it differs to other countries.