French health cost reimbursement forms can now be sent digitally

Subscribers to France’s state healthcare system can now upload digital versions of reimbursement forms, helping to improve the reimbursement process.

The new rule applies to feuilles de soins from GPs and specialists outside of clinics or hospitals. These are brown-coloured forms supplied by doctors for patients to obtain reimbursement when they do not have their carte Vitale.

Since September 7, people affiliated to France’s Assurance Maladie (state healthcare service) have been able to upload the documents digitally through their smartphone. 

It is the latest in a series of digitalisations for France’s healthcare service, including a new-look reimbursement information system.

What are feuilles de soins?

While most people signed up with Assurance Maladie claim reimbursement automatically through their carte Vitale (health card), feuilles de soins can be used when the card is not available, or, for example, when the doctor’s office is unable to accept a carte Vitale due to technical issues.

Examples include where a person is signed up to Assurance Maladie but does not yet have their card (for new arrivals, French citizens returning after living abroad, etc) or when a card has been lost or damaged and has been re-ordered but is yet to arrive. 

They are also used by people who are not affiliated to Assurance Maladie, such as visitors on holiday in France, or cross-border workers who are affiliated to another country’s healthcare in the place where they work.

In this scenario, the patient pays the full cost of the appointment or service upfront, but is given a feuille de soins by the healthcare practitioner. 

These are then usually posted to the patient’s local Cpam (Caisse primaire d'assurance maladie, local Assurance Maladie office) to be processed in order for the reimbursement to be made.

You can find your local Cpam office through your account on the Ameli (Assurance Maladie) website. 

Digital versions accepted

Now, however, feuilles de soins can be sent to the Cpam digitally via the smartphone app Compte ameli.

Users log in, then go to the 'Mes démarches' section to upload their documents. 

They must upload a photo of the form – correctly filled in and signed – as well as key information including patient name, doctor number and appointment cost. 

The app will then check it is a valid feuille de soins and if it is not, it will automatically be rejected. If the lighting or photo quality is poor, users will be asked to retake the photo. 

They will have up to four attempts to provide a satisfactory photo, after which they must send the form physically to their local Cpam office. 

Note that only reimbursement applications of €100 or below for a single appointment are accepted digitally, and users can only make five separate requests across a 30-day period via the app, covering both the insured person and their dependents.

Users are advised to keep their documents for 27 months, even after receiving a reimbursement, in case of any issues.