Online health account in France: six useful things you can do

France’s state healthcare website Ameli.fr has had several updates in recent months and now has additional features.

Everyone in the French health system should have an account and the updates relate to people’s personal ‘Compte Ameli’ spaces.

The Compte Ameli, run by l’Assurance Maladie, should not be confused with Mon Espace Santé which launched in 2022, and which is more a form of online medical records including items such as prescriptions and laboratory and scan results.

Read more: New digital space rolled out in France to better manage health data

Alongside the ability to update your key information (such as your address, and bank details linked to your social security), the renovation of the Ameli site includes new tools to request certain documents and track progress of any social security reimbursement claims.

We look at six of the most useful online features of the ‘Compte Ameli’ spaces below.

Access reimbursement and payment history

The website allows you to view your payment history associated with your social security health rights.

Under the section for mes paiements at the top of the page after you login, you can find monthly and yearly statements.

On the monthly statements tab, you can view your statement history for the previous 27 months. You can also download these to your own devices.

Recent payments are found on the homescreen after you login.

Find information and updates about claims you have made

It is possible to follow the progress of claims for arrêts de travail (official sick notes for time off work for health reasons).

You can also find out the estimated date certain procedures, such as changes in work situations and reimbursements of health costs accrued, should be processed.

This can be done in the mes démarches tab, under the suivre mes démarches section.

Read also: Unemployed in France must promise to do weekly activity in new trial

Order a first carte Vitale or report your carte Vitale lost or stolen

If you need to order a carte Vitale (France’s healthcare card) for the first time, you can start the process via your Compte Ameli.

In the mes démarches section at the top of the website, you will find the link to order one, free of charge.

Following the steps on the website, you will need to confirm your information (postal address, etc), and then upload certain documents, such as photos, to obtain your card.

You can also order a carte Vitale for beneficiaries such as children, who do not yet have one.

It is also possible to declare your current carte Vitale as lost, stolen or no longer functional.

This will allow you to block your old carte Vitale from being used and allow you to order a new one.

The website prompts you to order a new card after blocking your carte Vitale.

It is important to note that if you do not immediately order your new carte Vitale after blocking your current one, you have to wait up to two days before ordering a new card.

After requesting a new card, you can check the progress of the order at the site.

Read more: Phone app version of France’s carte Vitale to launch in 2023

Order a Carte européenne d’assurance maladie (Ceam)

An Ehic card (known as a carte européenne d'assurance maladie, or Ceam, in France) is used when travelling to other EU member states (and those in the European Economic Area) or the UK.

The card covers necessary medical treatment in these countries that cannot wait until the end of your trip and ensures you obtain the same rights as a person from that country in terms of free or reimbursed care.

The card takes at least 15 days to be delivered. If you are leaving for your trip before this time, or your card has not been delivered yet, you can download a provisional document that lasts for three months.

It is also possible to ask for a reimbursement for healthcare charges abroad via your Ameli account.

However, note that pensioners living in France who are attached to another country’s social security system via the S1 form system cannot have a French Ceam but should apply for a card from the country issuing the S1. In this case, however, a UK Ehic cannot be used for healthcare in the UK.

Read more: Travel and health coverage: How do I get French equivalent of Ehic?

Make online appointments with Cpam advisors

In situations where you may need to have an appointment with an advisor from your local caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (Cpam – state healthcare reimbursements body) you can use the website to make an appointment.

This can be done on the homepage, underneath the mon agenda section. Once an appointment has been made, it will appear in your agenda on the site.

Appointments can be made for many issues, including regarding accidents at work, sick notes, reimbursement for healthcare received abroad, maternity and paternity leave.

You must mention the reason for the appointment when making it so the advisor will have time to prepare for your case.

Do note, however, that this does not replace an appointment with a medical professional for illnesses.

Register the birth of a child

To declare to the French social security system the birth of your child, the baby must be born in France and registered with the local council.

Depending on the situation, you may also need to have your baby’s birth certificates and the social security information of the second parent.

You can register the information in the mes démarches section, then under déclarer un changement de situation.

This should be done to link your child to your social security rights and to access support from L’Assurance Maladie relating to newborns.

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