‘Franchise médicale’ cap officially climbs to €140 next month

The maximum amount patients can pay each year through two types of French medical charges will rise from €100 to €140 from October 1, with future increases linked to inflation.

The annual caps on the two charges will each rise from €50 to €70, meaning patients could pay up to a combined €140 a year.

The increase is set out in a decree due to come into force on October 1 and follows the abandonment of earlier plans to double each cap to €100.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said in August that the original proposal had been dropped following consultation with healthcare and insurance experts.

“The announced doubling was misunderstood and may have seemed abrupt,” she told Le Figaro.

The changes are part of wider government efforts to reduce social security spending ahead of discussions over the 2027 budget.

France’s social security system is forecast to run a deficit of up to €23.2billion by the end of 2026. The government has not said how much the higher charges are expected to save.

What are the charges?

The two annual caps apply to separate contributions paid by patients covered by Assurance Maladie.

The first is the franchise médicale, covering €1 per prescribed box of medicine, €1 for treatment from professionals such as nurses and physiotherapists, and €4 per medical transport journey.

The second is the participation forfaitaire, a €2 contribution for medical appointments and certain examinations, including X-rays and blood tests.

The charges are generally deducted from Assurance Maladie reimbursements, although some payments are made directly by patients.

Each currently has an annual cap of €50. From October 1, each will have a €70 cap.

This means the combined maximum payable across the two types of charge will be €140 per year.

Some French media refer to all of these payments collectively as franchises médicales, although the franchise médicale and participation forfaitaire are technically separate charges.

Caps to rise with inflation

The €70 limits will then be adjusted annually from January 1, 2028.

The increase will be based on the previous year’s inflation, using a coefficient calculated from the change in the annual average consumer price index excluding tobacco.

The resulting figure will be rounded to the nearest whole euro. If rounding means there is no increase in a particular year, inflation will be carried forward and included in the following calculation.

The system is intended to ensure the caps rise gradually with inflation, rather than remaining unchanged for long periods.