Complementary ('top-up') health insurance policies in France sit along the public insurance system to pick up health charges not covered the state.
The policies are called assurance complémentaire santé but also in the vernacular a 'mutuelle', mainly because many are offered by mutual, ostensibly non-profit associations.
A recent report by insurance comparison website Lynx.fr shows that while insurers will have made record savings in terms of health coverage due to Covid, insurance premiums for these policies rose last year by an average of +4.3%, an estimate which is mirrored by an earlier report by consumer body 'Que Choisir'.
The average increase means an additional cost of €79 on policyholders, but an amount that could be as high as €200 for almost one in five policyholders.
Between the generations, the level of the annual premium differs by 300%, as shown below. These are, of course, average figures, and individual policies can differ by a significant amount, both up and down, depending on the insurer and the scope of the policy.
| 18-25 | €424 |
| 26-55 | €863 |
| 55+ | €1,257 |
The differences are explained by the higher level of risk to insurers with increasing age, but also the more comprehensive, cautious policies taken out by older persons. Conversely, younger persons opt for cheaper, often minimalist polices with a lower level of coverage.
Nevertheless, recent changes in the law now allow everyone to benefit from a minimum basket of care, particularly through the policy of '100 % Santé/Le reste à charge zéro', which permits patients with a top-up policy to obtain 100% reimbursement for dental, optical and audiology care, albeit that conditions and limits apply.
One consequence of this policy has been to push higher insurance obligations on to the insurers, with the inevitable increase in premiums. Around two-thirds of the cost of the policy is being funded by the insurers, a huge financial burden.
The study also shows that premiums vary according to geographical area with a difference of €139 between the most expensive and the cheapest region.
The Hauts-de-France region has the highest premium, averaging €923/year, whilst the lowest is Brittany which averages €784/year.
The table below gives the average per region and by age group.
The reasons for these differences are explained by the health and population characteristics of each region. Thus, in the Hauts-de-France chronic pathologies are more frequently recorded, with the mining and industrial past of the area having consequences on the health of the population. In Paris, it is the high population density and the higher cost of medical treatment.
Conversely, in Brittany (and the Pays de Loire) there is a more widespread shortage of medical practitioners, with the result that people use the health system less and so spend less on their health.
Those seeking assistance with their complementary policy can contact our English language speaking health insurance broker, who is able to offer competitive rates for such policies, as well as health policies for visa applications.
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