Tips for choosing a mutuelle in France – and what should you expect to pay?

Retirees, self-employed people and anyone paying their own mutuelle in France could face another increase in premiums in 2027.

The state is reducing its reimbursement for some healthcare from next year, making it more important to check whether your complementary cover still offers good value.

How much could premiums rise?

It is too early to know how much mutuelle premiums will rise in 2027, as insurers usually announce their increases towards the end of the year.

However, Noé Bauduin, from Que Choisir Ensemble’s Observatoire de la consommation, a consumer association, said another rise was likely.

“Last year, we saw an increase of about 5%,” he told The Connexion. “So it is very likely that premiums will rise again next year.”

He also said consumers should not assume that higher premiums always reflect higher reimbursement costs.

“We still see a tendency for contributions to increase faster than the reimbursements they actually make,” he said.

So, how can you cut the cost?

Check what you pay 

The first step is to look at what you have actually paid and what you have received in reimbursements.

“At the end of the year, it’s worth doing the maths,” he said.

“You can go to your health supplement website, look at all the reimbursements you've had, and put them in parallel with the amount of contributions you've paid.”

“In theory, most people pay a little more than what they have in reimbursement, which is quite logical, because otherwise the health supplements would be deficient,” Mr Bauduin said.

However, a large gap could also mean that the policy no longer suits your needs.

“If you see that, for example, for contributions, you pay two or three times more than what you have in reimbursement, you can tell yourself that there may be a gap between your needs and the level of guarantee to which you have subscribed.”

Retirees should shop around

Mr Bauduin said retirees should be particularly willing to compare mutuelles, especially if they are still with the provider they had while working.

“A lot of people, when they retire, are happy to keep the same health supplement that they had while they were active,” he said. “But this is not necessarily the most interesting for their profile.”

While working, an employer may pay part of the premium. Once retired, the policy can become much more expensive.

“People sometimes have contracts that are not at all competitive, where they pay much more than the market,” he said.

His advice is to compare prices and, before switching, ask your existing provider whether it can offer a cheaper policy.

He suggested telling the insurer: “I saw that another provider offers this reimbursement. What can you offer me? How can we renegotiate my price?”

“It's a good reflex that people don't necessarily have the time or the habit to have, but which can allow them to save money.”

Choose cover around your actual needs

Instead of automatically choosing the most comprehensive policy, Mr Bauduin said consumers should concentrate on the areas where they are most likely to need help with costs.

He highlighted dental care, optical care and hearing aids. “These are really the three areas where a mutuelle can make the biggest difference to your costs,” he said. 

However, people's needs can be very different. “There are some for whom they don't need optics at all, and others for whom it's really the main reimbursement expense.”

His advice is therefore to focus on “the sectors where we really have expenses” and choose a policy that is effective in those areas.

Recap of three things to do if your premium rises

Mr Bauduin's advice can be boiled down to three steps: check, negotiate and compare.

First, compare what you paid with what you received in reimbursements.

Second, ask your existing insurer whether you can reduce your level of cover (and your premium) without losing benefits you actually need.

Finally, compare other policies if the price still looks too high.

“If you can save 10%, that can quickly add up to a significant amount over the year,” he said.

What about a mutuelle communale?

Another option worth checking is a local or communal mutuelle.

Such schemes allow a commune to negotiate a group deal with an insurer, potentially securing better rates for residents.

“A municipality will negotiate with an insurer, saying, for example, potentially there are a thousand people who could be interested, so I will bring you a lot of clients, so what are you going to offer me at an interesting rate?”

However, he warned that residents should not assume that every communal scheme is automatically cheaper.

“Sometimes small municipalities are simply approached by insurers, who offer them a contract to pass on to their residents.”

“In this case, sometimes the contract is not even negotiated.”

“So you really have to look,” he said.

Could you go without a mutuelle?

Some people may prefer to put the money they would spend on a mutuelle into savings and pay healthcare costs themselves.

Mr Bauduin said this can make financial sense, but means accepting more risk.

For those who can afford it, he said, the choice ultimately comes down to saving money or having the reassurance of cover.

How much do you pay for your mutuelle, and do you think it offers good value? If you do not have one, why not? Tell us about it at feedback@connexionfrance.com.