Visit to GP goes up by €2

Doctors have been complaining for several years about frozen fees, unchanged since 2011 – and other price increases are planned later in the year.

From July 1, if you are referred to a specialist the tariff will be €30 instead of €28, while in October the tariff for a referral for a one-off opinion at your doctor’s request (avis ponctuel) will rise from €46 to €48.

From November there will be a new higher tariff for a so-called ‘complex consultation’ (€46), for serious illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s; and an even higher one (€60) for ‘very complex’ ones such as cancer.

Since January 1 this year, doctors can optionally offer tiers payant (no upfront payment of the state’s part of the costs) to all patients – by November 30, 2017 it will become a patient’s right.

Barring technical issues, it is hoped this will also become possible for the part of costs covered by a patient’s ‘top-up’ mutuelle.

The Connexion’s Healthcare in France 2017 guide can be bought as a printed copy or download PDF for €9.90 here.