Starting Sunday, March 2, 2026, higher fees for hospital stays and emergency department visits are in effect in France. The government agency Assurance Maladie has raised the daily forfait hospitalier from €20 to €23 and the forfait urgence from €18 to €20. According to experts, this increase will likely be passed on to patients through higher premiums for supplementary insurance. The decision aims to help finance the healthcare system but raises concerns about additional costs for citizens.
Increase in daily hospital fee
The daily cost of hospitalization (forfait hospitalier) increases from €20 to €23. This applies to stays in both public and private hospitals and is charged for each day of hospitalization, with a limit of €20 per day for stays exceeding one month. This increase is effective from March 2, 2026.
More expensive ER visits
The forfait urgence, the fee for a visit to a hospital emergency department, increases from €18 to €20. This fee is independent of the actual services provided and is charged for each visit. Most of this amount is usually reimbursed by social insurance (Sécurité sociale).
Risk of higher supplementary premiums
French supplementary insurance companies (mutuelles) warn that the increased costs will be passed on to patients. This is related to the fact that it is often the mutuelles that cover the remaining costs not reimbursed by state insurance, as well as additional fees charged by some private hospital facilities (honoraires dépassements).
Healthcare funding
The fee hikes are part of actions by Assurance Maladie, the national health insurance operator, to finance the healthcare system in France. The decision is a response to rising hospital operating costs and ensuring emergency care. Similar fee increases have occurred in the past, for example in 2023.
French authorities have decided to increase fees borne by patients for hospital services. Starting Sunday, March 2, 2026, a new, higher daily rate for hospital stays applies. The amount paid for an emergency department visit has also increased. According to information published by BFMTV, Franceinfo, and Le Figaro, the daily hospitalization fee, known as the forfait hospitalier, has been increased by the national health insurance fund Assurance Maladie from €20 to €23. This fee is charged to every patient hospitalized in a public or private facility, with the stipulation that after one month, its amount is capped at €20 per day. Another important fee has also been increased. The forfait urgence, the fixed fee for using a hospital emergency department, has risen from €18 to €20.The French healthcare system is based on a model of universal social insurance (Sécurité sociale), which reimburses most treatment costs. Patients also use private, voluntary supplementary insurance (mutuelle), which covers the remaining expenses, including the patient's co-payment (ticket modérateur) and additional fees charged by private doctors. Experts and representatives from the insurance sector indicate that this increase will most likely impact patients' wallets in the longer term. French supplementary health insurance funds warn that the increased costs will be passed on to members' premiums. This mechanism primarily concerns the coverage of so-called honoraires dépassements, which are extra charges levied by some doctors and private clinics above the rate reimbursed by the state. A spokesperson for one of the health insurance federations stated, quoted by BFMTV: „These costs will be passed on to patients.” The decision by Assurance Maladie is driven by the need to increase funding for the public health service. Rising hospital operating costs, especially in the context of inflation and higher energy prices, require additional resources. Increasing the forfait fees is one of the instruments for obtaining these funds. Similar actions have taken place in the past, for example in 2023. Authorities emphasize that these funds are essential for maintaining the quality and accessibility of medical care for all citizens.
Perspektywy mediów: Liberal media emphasize the negative impact of the fee hike on patients, especially the poorest, and the risk of increased supplementary insurance premiums. Conservative media stress the necessity of strengthening healthcare funding and present the decision as a necessary step to save hospitals.