The French Health Care System

Who is covered?

France has a social insurance system financed by employer-employee payroll taxes and central taxes.  Statutory insurance covers all residents for hospital and ambulatory care, prescription drugs, and, to a lesser extent, dental and optometry care.  Cost-sharing requirements apply to all publicly covered services, although these are waived for patients with any of 30 chronic diseases.  Roughly nine of ten residents have complementary private insurance that covers most cost-sharing charges under the public system; they either obtain this insurance themselves (usually through employment) or, if they have low income, have it provided by the government.

 For more information, read a Profile of the French Health Care System.