We often hear the stereotype that the French are a nation of hypochondriacs. I was recently reminded of this by my Mum after I’d visited a French dentist and was really worrying about my teeth. Having had regular dentist appointments in the UK and always being told I had healthy teeth and gums, the French dentist took one look and announced that all my teeth were going to fall out in the next 10 years. Cue chronic worrying and many dreams about my teeth falling out !
So is the French healthcare system much better than other countries, or are they just abnormally anxious about their health?
The French have long been known for their high prescription drug use rate. I read a statistic recently from France’s National Drug Safety Agency who found that 32% of the French population had used anti-depressant drugs in 2013, either on a regular or occasional basis. The French pharmaceutical sector is the biggest in Europe and the third largest in the world, with the giant Sanofi Pasteur group being the biggest drugs company in the world. There are pharmacies on every street corner. You can refer yourself straight to a specialist if you think you have a specific problem without needing to see your GP first, perhaps making it a little too easy to over-diagnose.
However, you can’t deny that the health care system here is excellent. Once you have obtained a carte vitale, you are refunded up to 70% of the cost of doctors appointments, medication and treatments, and you can also take out a “mutuelle” health insurance policy to refund the rest. Another thing I think is excellent is that if you are off work ill, you have to get a doctors note that day and submit it to your employer to discourage people from ‘pulling a sickie’ – I wonder how that would go down in the UK!
I’m really lucky to be in a country with such a fantastic health service. But as a worrier myself, the next time I have a health concern, I may apply a bit of logic before I start popping pills.
Sarah x
Faking it in France 
Hi Sarah, my partner and I just came across your blog, and as we are currently looking at possibly moving to Lyon, you have provided us with many insightful tips – thank you!
In this update, you mentioned having to pay upfront for doctors visits – would you be able to provide an approximate cost to these? We are Canadian and currently do not pay up front, so this would definitely be something new for us.
Thank you!!
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Hi Monica,
Thanks for your comment, I’d be happy to help! The cost I have paid in the past has been between 35-50 euros for a general doctors appointment. You pay this in cash or sometimes with a debit/credit card. Also in France you can go straight to a specialist without needing to be referred by a GP. Again this cost depends on what its for, but I would say this ranges between 50 and 90 euros. Once you have a carte vitale, you get this refunded in full within a few days straight to your bank account. However when you arrive in France, it takes several months (if you’re lucky) to get your carte vitale, so you will have to pay for these in full and then keep receipts of doctors appointments to be able to claim this back retrospectively. My partner and I got our medical expenses re-imbursed, it just takes a little while in the beginning.
Also you have to pay for medication in the pharmacy, but if you have a carte vitale, the cost is greatly reduced, and you can have a mutuelle (private health insurance) to cover the rest of the cost. I’d really recommend this for anything more expensive like dental cover, opticians, operations etc.
I hope that helps and don’t hesitate to ask if you have any more questions! Sarah
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