How much does a hospital stay cost in France?

Hospital fees in France follow a regulated pricing structure and the country’s healthcare system combines comprehensive state coverage with additional options. 

If you need hospital treatment, you may be seen in a public hospital or a state-approved private clinic (clinique privée conventionnée). Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for a hospital stay.

Key costs of a hospital stay in France

There are several elements that make up the overall hospital fee:

1. Forfait hospitalier (daily charge)

This €20 daily charge covers accommodation, laundry, and general hospital services. 

It is a non-reimbursed fee but is typically covered by mutuelle top-up health insurance.

2. Frais d'hospitalisation (hospitalisation fees)

These fees include costs for medical staff services, medications, and equipment. 

They vary depending on the hospital and department, with intensive care fees reaching up to €3,000 per day.

The state reimburses 80% of these costs, although some specific procedures (costing €120 or more) have a €24 charge for the patient.

Féreuze Aziza, an adviser representing patients at France Assos Santé, said many items totted up under frais d'hospitalisation do not come under the €24 fixed charge. 

This can lead to issues for patients without top-up insurance.

After 30 days in hospital or in certain cases, for example long-term illnesses known as affections de longue durée or ALD, the state covers 100% of these fees.

3. Comfort and additional services

If you opt for a private room, TV, or other comfort services, additional fees will apply.

A private room costs around €60 per day in a public hospital and can be as much as €100 per day in a private clinic, though prices can vary.

If your condition requires a private room for medical reasons (eg. infection control), you will not be charged extra, unless you request additional comfort options.

Costs for expensive procedures

For certain costly procedures known as actes lourds, including surgeries or emergency services, the ticket modérateur does not apply - this is the cost left to pay by the patient or mutuelle after the state-reimbursed amount. 

Actes lourds mainly include treatment or acts with a state-set tariff of €120 or more. 

For these services, the state reimburses the full cost, minus a fixed payment contribution or forfait of €24 from the patient. 

This contribution is applied once, regardless of how many qualifying procedures are done during a single visit or hospital stay.

Certain procedures costing more than €120 including emergency transport, x-rays, scans and MRIs, are covered 100% without payment of the forfait.

Several groups are also exempt from paying the €24 forfait, including those who benefit from complémentaire santé solidaire cover, disabled persons, pregnant women and patients with chronic long-term conditions.

Excess fees and payment

Although some practitioners charge excess fees or dépassements d’honoraires for certain treatments, this is rare in hospitals. 

One case is when a hospital doctor is performing an operation on a private basis; however, they should always inform you in advance if a procedure will incur additional costs.

In both public hospitals and state-approved private clinics, the tiers payant system means you will not have to pay up front for the state-reimbursed part of your care costs. 

As well as this, in state hospitals, the costs covered by your mutuelle will be paid by them directly so you do not need to pay up front.

Hospitalisation à domicile - home hospitalisation

An alternative to traditional hospital stays is hospitalisation à domicile. This option allows patients to receive high-quality care at home through regular visits by medical professionals. 

The reimbursement system for home hospitalisation is similar to that of regular hospital stays, but without the daily forfait hospitalier charge.

While the cost of a hospital stay in France can vary, the public healthcare system provides significant coverage, with most patients paying only a small portion of the overall cost. With the right mutuelle insurance, the financial burden of hospitalisation can be minimal.

Our article on keeping fees low is available here.