France sends four decrees to cut state health reimbursements for dental care, drugs and transport
Health minister Stéphanie Rist announced on 24 July that four decrees have been sent to the health insurance council, aiming to lower the share of costs covered by the national health system for dental consultations, medical transport and certain drugs deemed ineffective.
## Announcement On 24 July 2026, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist told France Info that four decrees had been transmitted to the Conseil de l'Assurance maladie. The texts will alter the split of costs between the state health insurance and complementary top-up insurers, she said. The move is the latest in a series of transfers from public to private coverage, as the government seeks to curb social security spending.
which will modify the reimbursement share between the health insurance and the complementary insurance
What is being cut
The decrees target three areas: consultations with dental surgeons, medical transport (including taxis) and a list of drugs that the government considers to be of low therapeutic value. The share covered by the Assurance maladie will be reduced, shifting more of the bill onto patients and their mutuelles. The exact new reimbursement rates were not disclosed, but the decrees will lower the state's contribution. The list of affected drugs has not been published, though the government has long signalled it wants to delist or reduce coverage for medications it deems insufficiently effective.
Impact on households
Patients are likely to see their reimbursement statements change, and mutuelle premiums could rise sharply, Les Echos reported. Because complementary insurers will have to cover a larger portion of each claim, they are expected to pass the cost on through higher tariffs. The move effectively transfers costs from the public purse to private insurance, which 95% of French residents hold. Households that already face rising mutuelle bills may see further increases once the decrees take effect.
Government's rationale
While the minister did not detail the savings target, the decision is part of a broader push to rein in health expenditure. The government has been looking for levers to reduce social security spending, and lowering coverage for treatments deemed non-essential or less effective is one of them. The decrees were presented to the health insurance council, which will now examine them before any final adoption.
What happens next
The decrees now go before the council for consultation. If adopted, the new reimbursement rates would take effect after publication in the Journal Officiel, though no timeline was given. The complementary insurance sector is expected to respond with its own projections of premium increases once the final texts are known.
