Reimbursement of medical expenses

Have you incurred medical expenses from consultations, examinations, buying medicines, etc.? In some cases, they will be completely or partially reimbursed automatically. If they are not, you will have to request a reimbursement from your health insurance organization.

If you are a student with a European Health Insurance Card, a RAMQ form or an Andorran form

Step 1 - Request a reimbursement of the part covered by state health insurance

To request a reimbursement of your medical costs in France, you can send a request by post to the international relations department of your local health insurance organization, CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie).

You will find the contact details of your local CPAM on the French state health insurance system website. Be careful to select the CPAM of your “département”: Isère if you live in Grenoble, or Drôme if you live in Valence.

You must send the following documents for your reimbursement request:
  • a copy of your European Health Insurance Card (front and back) or of your RAMQ or Andorran form
  • the healthcare form (“feuille de soins”) that you received from the doctor, filled in and signed
  • the prescription (if you have one)
  • a certificate of enrollment (“certificat de scolarité”) for the current academic year
  • your bank details (“RIB” - relevé d’identité bancaire)
  • a covering letter outlining your request for a reimbursement.
Once the reimbursement has been made, you should receive a statement summarizing the sums paid to you. This statement is called a “décompte de sécurité sociale”.

Step 2 - Further reimbursement from your complementary health insurance

If you have complementary health insurance (a “mutuelle”), you can obtain a further reimbursement of some or all of the outstanding amount.
To do so, send your complementary health insurance or “mutuelle” the “décompte de sécurité sociale” statement you received from the state health insurance organization.

If you are covered by French state health insurance

The reimbursement is made in two steps:
  1. first the part covered by the French state insurance (whether or not you have a health card (“carte Vitale”)),
  2. and then further reimbursement of the outstanding amount by your complementary health insurance (“mutuelle”) if you have one.

If you do not have a health card (“carte Vitale”) yet

You must send a request for a reimbursement of your medical costs by post to your health insurance organization: CPAM or MGEN.
The address of this organization can be found on your health insurance certificate (“attestation de droits”).
You must send the following documents for your reimbursement request:
  • a copy of your health insurance certificate ("attestation de droits à l'assurance maladie")
  • the healthcare form (“feuille de soins”) that you received from the doctor, filled in and signed
  • the prescription (if you have one)
  • your bank details (“RIB” - relevé d’identité bancaire) if you have not already provided them.
Once the reimbursement has been made, you will receive a statement summarizing the sums paid to you. This statement is called a “décompte de sécurité sociale”.

If you have a health card (“carte Vitale”)

Present your health card to the healthcare professional, during your doctor’s appointment, at the medical analysis laboratory, at the pharmacy, etc.
All the information required to reimburse the healthcare expenses you incur will be transmitted directly to your health insurance organization.
If you have already provided your bank details (“RIB” - relevé d’identité bancaire), the reimbursement will be paid automatically into your bank account.

Complementary health insurance

If you have complementary health insurance, or a “mutuelle”, remember to supply a copy of your state health insurance certificate ("attestation de droits à l’assurance maladie”) to your complementary health insurance organization, to ensure that your reimbursement requests are transmitted correctly between the two organizations. This will ensure that the parts covered by the French state insurance and your complementary insurance are both reimbursed directly to your bank account.

If your complementary health insurance, or "mutuelle", does not reimburse you automatically, you will have to send it your "décompte de sécurité sociale" in order to request the reimbursement of some or all of the remaining amount paid by you after the part covered by the French state health insurance has been reimbursed.
 
Good to know
The reimbursement of the health insurance part will be higher if you have declared a referring doctor ('médecin traitant') to your health insurance organization.
To find out more about the referring doctor, see step 2 on the Health insurance and complementary health coverage page

If you are covered by private health insurance

To find out how to obtain a reimbursement of medical expenses, contact your insurance provider directly.
Published on  January 7, 2021
Updated on May 30, 2024