Hospital care

In France, there are two types of facilities that provide hospital care: public hospitals (hôpitaux) and private, for-profit clinics (cliniques).

Hospitals versus clinics

Hospitals and clinics mainly differ in the employment status of their personnel. Doctors working at hospitals are government employees that receive a fixed salary. In contrast, doctors working at clinics are self-employed. The two establishments often also differ in their fees: care tends to be more expensive in clinics than in hospitals.

Urgent care

Hospitals have emergency departments to treat patients requiring urgent care. These patients either come in on their own or are brought in by first responders (e.g., firefighters). Some hospitals have specialised sub-departments (e.g., for pregnancy-related, psychiatric, or cardiological emergencies) that patients can go to directly or upon referral.

How quickly you are seen does not depend on when you arrived but rather on the severity of your condition. If you do not need emergency medical aid, it is recommended that you see your primary care doctor.

Hospitalisation

If you are hospitalised, you must officially notify the social security office as well as your employer to ensure that your healthcare costs are covered. Patients who have been hospitalised may qualify for in-home care under certain conditions.

Hospital coverage

Coverage is the same for both public and private facilities: 80% of the conventional tariff is covered by public health insurance and 20% of the conventional tariff is covered by your complementary health insurance, if applicable. 

When you are discharged, you will have to pay the following:

• Any health-related expenses that remain after public health insurance coverage is applied (i.e., the remaining 20% of costs)
• Any additional charges incurred (e.g., costs of private room, telephone use, television use)
• Health-related expenses above and beyond the conventional tariff

Some private clinics that set their own rates (non conventionné) may charge fees that are well above the prices fixed by the government. Therefore, if you receive care in such an establishment, you are responsible for paying the difference. That said, if you have complementary health insurance, these additional expenses may be partially or fully covered. When possible, you should estimate your hospitalisation costs ahead of time to plan for the amount you will need to pay out of pocket.

If you do not have complementary health insurance and are unable to pay for your share of the expenses, you have two options:

• You can apply to your CPAM for subsidised complementary health insurance (complémentaire santé solidaire)
• You can apply to your CPAM for financial aid for health and social services (aides financières au titre de l’action sanitaire et sociale)