Healthcare

Assurance Maladie is France's mandatory public health insurance system. All legal residents — employees, self-employed, students, and retirees — are entitled to coverage. Contributions are deducted automatically from salaries (about 13% combined employer/employee) or paid via URSSAF for self-employed.

A mutuelle (complémentaire santé) is a private top-up insurance policy that reimburses the gap between Assurance Maladie's reimbursement and the actual cost. Most employed workers receive a mutuelle through their employer (required by law since 2016 for CDI employees).

France operates a médecin traitant (referring GP) system. You must register with a primary care GP who then refers you to specialists. Seeing a specialist without a GP referral results in lower reimbursement (30% instead of 70%).

Mental health services in France are covered by Assurance Maladie but wait times for public psychiatrists can be long. A growing network of private psychologists and therapists operates in English in major cities.

Newly arrived expats waiting for Assurance Maladie registration, or those on Visitor visas who cannot access the public system, use private health insurance. Several international providers offer France-specific plans.