Hospitals in France

Hospital stays

The state health system covers hospitalisation in a public hospital or a clinique privée conventionnée (private clinic that has an agreement with the state) at 80% of the costs, or 100% if your stay exceeds one month – although the 100% rate only applies from the 31st day onwards.

On top of this, there is a daily hospital charge (forfait hospitalier) of €20 per day (€15 in psychiatric wards) for stays longer than 24 hours. This is only reimbursed by some mutuelles.

You, or your mutuelle, are still responsible for any non-reimbursed fees, including dépassements d’honoraires (fees above the standard rate) charged by sector 2 doctors, the €24 fee for certain major procedures (actes lourds), and optional extras such as a private room, telephone, or television.

You can find information about hospitals and clinics in your area at has-sante.fr (select ‘Usagers’ then ‘Qualiscope’).

Cover outside France

Once registered with the French system, your healthcare rights can extend beyond France, including to your home country when travelling.

If you are a foreign resident of France travelling within the EU/EEA, you will need the Carte Européenne d’Assurance Maladie (CEAM) – the European Health Insurance Card. This can be requested via your local CPAM, through the CPAM website ameli.fr (with an account), by calling 3646, or using machines at your local office. The CEAM provides medically necessary care under the same conditions as residents of the country you are visiting.

However, the CEAM does not cover all costs – for example, medical repatriation, some private healthcare, mountain rescue, or non-reimbursed portions of care. It is still recommended to take out travel insurance that covers these gaps.

For travel outside the EU/EEA, you should always obtain comprehensive travel insurance, as the CEAM does not provide coverage.

If you visit the UK, you can benefit from the France–UK social security agreement, which allows you to receive necessary healthcare during a temporary stay. Your CPAM can advise on the process and documentation required to access care under this arrangement.

If you incur necessary, unplanned medical costs outside the EU and pay for them yourself, keep all bills and receipts. You may submit these to your CPAM on your return using the paper form Cerfa 12267 (soins reçus à l’étranger) or via your ameli.fr account. The CPAM may reimburse up to the standard French rates if the care was medically necessary and similar care is available in France. Note that costs outside Europe, especially in the US, may be much higher than French reimbursement levels, so private travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Out-of-hours care

Outside normal hours – roughly Monday to Friday 08:00–20:00 – other options exist to ensure access to care:

• Call 116 117: This service provides advice and can arrange out-of-hours visits (evenings, nights, weekends, bank holidays). It does not replace 15 for emergencies.

• SOS Médecins (tel: 3624): A network of doctors across France who can make home visits. Fees may be higher than standard consultations, but reimbursements are generally at the usual 70% rate.

Online resources

Ameli.fr is the official CPAM website and a good source of information about procedures, reimbursements, and tracking your payments. Setting up an account allows you to monitor your reimbursements if you are registered with a local CPAM.

Cover outside France

Once you are part of the French system, it can change the healthcare you receive outside of France, including back in your country of origin when visiting.

If you are a foreign resident of France who is part of the French system travelling within the EU/EEA, you will need the Carte Européenne d’Assurance Maladie (Ceam) European health card and you can apply for it via the agency you are affiliated to for health cover (Cpam). You may also apply via the Cpam website ameli.fr if you have an account on the site, by calling 3646 or using machines at your local Cpam. This card provides medically necessary health cover in a country under the same conditions as a resident of that country.

Note, however, that a Ceam does not cover all possible costs – such as medical repatriation, certain private healthcare, mountain rescue, or non-reimbursed parts of healthcare in countries where this also exists for residents. It is still recommended that you obtain travel health insurance with elements suited to filling such gaps. 

If you are a foreign resident of France who is part of the French system travelling outside the EU/EEA, you should, typically, obtain travel insurance for the trip as a Ceam does not work outside of Europe.

If you are visiting your country of citizenship, it is worth seeing if there is a French social security agreement with your country allowing you, as a citizen, healthcare on visits. Your Cpam should be able to tell you. There is, however, no relevant agreement we are aware of that helps US citizens visiting the US.

That said, if you incur unplanned, necessary healthcare costs while on a trip outside the EU and have to pay for these, you should collect the bills and receipts and may present them to your Cpam on your return. This can be done via paper form Cerfa 12267 soins reçus à l’étranger, or in your ameli.fr account. 

If satisfied that the care was necessary, unplanned, a type available in France, and the documents provided contain sufficient information, the Cpam may agree to refund up to the usual French levels for the type of care. However, bear in mind that US healthcare has a higher cost which may be several times more, hence having a health insurance policy rather than relying on this is recommended.

Connexion Tip

Outside of ‘normal’ hours – Monday to Friday, from around 8:00 to 20:00 – when your own doctor is not available (nights, weekends, bank holidays) there are other alternatives in place to ensure you find medical care as and when required.

To find an out of hours doctor (weekends, bank holidays, and weekdays after 20.00 and before 08.00), call 116 117.

The service provides medical advice, as well as help with finding out of hours medical services or arranging for a home visit if necessary.

It does not however replace 15 as the number to call in medical emergencies.

SOS Médecins (tel: 3624) is another option if you have a health problem out of hours.

This network has doctors across much of France. They will come out quickly and although they usually charge more than services for a normal primary care physician, you are reimbursed at the usual 70% rate for their visit.

ameli.fr is the Cpam website and remains a good source of information about procedures and reimbursements etc.

If you set up an account on this site you can also use it to track details of your reimbursements if you are registered with a local Cpam.