Hospitals in France

Hospital stays

The state health system pays for hospitalization in a public hospital or a clinique privée conventionnée (private clinic that has signed an agreement with the state) at a rate of 80% (or 100% if you must stay longer than a month).

However on top of this there is a part of the daily costs that is not reimbursed for each day you stay longer than 24 hours, the forfait hospitalier (€20/day, or €15 in psychiatric wards). This is reimbursed only by some mutuelles.

You or your mutuelle still have to pay the non-reimbursed part of the hospital fee and any dépassements d’honoraires (fees above the basic rate) practiced by sector 2 doctors in the hospital who treat you, plus the €24 fee for certain procedures classified as actes lourds and costs of any extras you ask for eg. a private room or telephone or television supplement.

Find out about hospitals and clinics in your area on: has-sante.fr (select ‘Usagers’ at the top, then ‘Qualiscope’ from the options).

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.