France raises annual patient deductible cap to €140 starting in October

Cap adjustments and inflation indexing

A French government decree published in the Journal officiel on 12 September 2026 increases the annual ceiling on patient out-of-pocket healthcare deductibles from €100 to €140 starting on 1 October. The measure raises the specific cap on doctor consultations from €50 to €70, with an identical increase from €50 to €70 applied to the separate cap covering prescribed medication boxes, paramedical acts, and medical transport. These sums are deducted directly by the statutory health insurance system from reimbursements for appointments with general practitioners and specialists, nursing or physiotherapy care, diagnostic blood tests, and radiological examinations. Under the decree, these ceilings will be adjusted annually each January according to inflation, starting on 1 January 2028.

Speaking on the adjustment, the Minister of Health explained the motivation for revising ceilings that had remained unchanged since their introduction.

The annual caps on consultations and medicines had not changed since their creation twenty years ago. They increase from 50 to 70 euros, to take into account inflation since that date.

Budgetary pressures and healthcare funding

The decree arrives ahead of autumn parliamentary budget debates as the executive attempts to address the deficit in the Social Security system. According to data from the Social Security Accounts Commission, the total shortfall stood at €21.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to expand to €23.2 billion in 2026.

The decree outlines that the revenue generated will help fund structural healthcare initiatives across the country. Specific targets include financing the establishment of 5,000 multidisciplinary health centres by the end of 2027. The government also intends to deploy 3,700 junior doctors in their fourth and final year of general practice residency and expand the delegation of clinical procedures from doctors to other healthcare professionals to improve medical access.

Exemptions and household financial impact

Government figures indicate that 18 million French citizens will remain completely exempt from paying these deductibles. The statutory exemption applies to all minors, beneficiaries of the Complementary Health Solidarity program, and pregnant women.

This development remains measured and protects those who need it most, since 18 million French people remain exempt.

For non-exempt policyholders, the Ministry of Health estimated in late August that the financial impact will average less than €1 per month. For patients diagnosed with recognized long-term chronic conditions, known as ALD, the average additional charge is estimated at €2 per month. Total out-of-pocket spending for patients may also be increased by medical fee overruns, which are billed by individual practitioners and are not covered by the public health insurance system.

Policy revisions and trade union reactions

The publication of the €140 cap represents a revised stance compared to earlier government announcements. In July, the executive proposed doubling the combined annual ceiling to €200, but withdrew the plan following pushback from patient advocacy associations and healthcare worker unions.

Despite the smaller adjustment, the creation of an ongoing indexing framework drew criticism from labour groups. The UNSA trade union opposed the decree, pointing to an unacceptable logic that creates an automatic and permanent system for raising patient out-of-pocket healthcare expenses.