7. Non-Reimbursable Health Charges in France

1. 7.1. Consultant Fees
   7.2. Patient Charges
   7.3. Branded Medicines
   7.4. Medical Aids

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7.2. Patient Health Charges in France

There are a number of minor charges that the patient is required to meet for medical consultations and medicines. These charges are deducted from the sum reimbursed to you through the social security system, and neither are they reimbursable through your voluntary insurance policy.

7.2.1. Medical Consultations

Patients are required to pay €1 for each medical consultation, irrespective of whether or not they have full insurance cover.

So, for example, if you see your doctor, the standard charge is €22. You will receive reimbursement through the social security system at the standard rate of 70% - €15.40, less the €1 surcharge, giving a reimbursement of €14.40. So you will be left to pay €7.60, of which €6.60 may be reimbursed by your top-up insurer.

7.2.2. Prescriptions

You will be required to pay 50 cents towards the cost of all medicines, except those given during hospitalisation. This charge applies to each medicine that may be prescribed.

Accordingly, if you visit your doctor, and you are prescribed four medicines, you will not receive reimbursement for the €1 consultation excess, as well as €2 for the prescription (€0.5 x 4).

7.2.3. Auxiliary Services

Patients are required to pay 50 cents towards the costs of all auxiliary medical treatments, e.g. physiotherapy. This amount will be deducted from the reimbursement due to you.

7.2.4. Transport

Patients are required to pay €2 towards the cost of all medical transport journeys (each way), save for emergencies.

There are a limited number of important circumstances where these surcharges are not applied. Thus, children under 18, low incomes groups (CMU-C recipients) and pregnant women are granted exemption.

In addition, there is a cap of €50 per year, per person payable for excess charges relating to medicines, auxiliary services and transport.

7.2.5. Minimum €18 Contribution

If you receive medical treatment costing in excess of €90 then you are obliged to pay a contribution of €18 towards the cost of the treatment.

The charge is applied for any single medical treatment or for multiple medical acts during the same consultation, where the total charge is more than €90. If you are hospitalised, then the charge is applied only once for any single admission.

As might be expected in France, things are never entirely clear cut, as there are a number of important exonerations from this charge for certain types of treatment and for certain groups.

Those exonerations by treatment are:

• Long-term illness;
• X rays or scans;
• Laboratory tests;
• Certain prosthesis;
• Treatment for sterility;
• Long term hospital care (over 31 days).

Those groups who receive exoneration are:

• Pregnant women (last three months);
• Newly born children (first 30 days);
• Recipients of invalidity benefits;
• Persons suffering from work related illness/accident;
• Recipients of CMU-Complementaire.

If you need to pay the charge, you will need to read your voluntary insurance policy to see if these costs are covered. At the request of the government, most voluntary insurers have decided pick up the charge, although ultimately, it will be reflected generally in insurance premiums.

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