Which medical appointments will see higher fees in France in 2026?
We look at specialists affected and how reimbursement for patients will work for new tariffs
The changes in rates apply to sector 1 and some sector 2 doctors
New Africa/Shutterstock
New tariffs for certain specialist medical appointments are to come into force in France from January 1, 2026.
Appointments with pediatricians, gynaecologists, and geriatricians are among those affected with fees rising by €5 in several instances.
The changes apply only to sector 1 (all doctors in this sector) and sector 2 professionals under the OPTAM scheme, whose rates are controlled by Assurance Maladie.
Other specialists (sector 2 doctors who have not signed the OPTAM scheme, and sector 3 doctors) will continue to set their own rates.
In addition, a new €60 ‘long consultation’ for over 80s is set to be introduced.
Available once per year, it will only be possible to have the appointment if a patient has recently been hospitalised, as a way to ‘combine’ appointments for several medical issues, or as part of a social-medical transition pathway agreed upon by experts.
The increases are part of staggered price rises for several specialist appointments agreed between medical unions and France’s Social Security body Assurance Maladie and in most cases follow a first round of increases introduced in December 2024.
The incoming tariffs were originally set to be introduced in July 2025, but were pushed back due to concerns over health spending across the year.
The new measures come following long negotiations between Assurance Maladie and unions.
They aim to improve patient care, particularly outside of hospitals and in rural areas, and adapt primary care to the modern healthcare landscape.
What tariffs are changing?
Some of the main increases set to come into force include:
Visits to a paediatrician for a child under 2, increasing from €39 to €40 (prior to December 2024 this was €38.50). Mandatory check-ups for children under 2 will increase from €45 to €50
Visits to a paediatrician for different mandatory check-ups - known as COEs (at 8 days, 9 months, and two years) will increase from €54 to €60. However, unlike for other appointment types this fixed rate applies to all sector 1 and 2 practitioners regardless of if they are signed up to OPTAM, and are reimbursed at a 100% rate by Assurance Maladie (meaning no out of pocket expense for parents)
Visits to a psychiatrist, neuropsychiatrist or neurologist, rising from €55 to €57 (prior to December 2024 this was €51.70). For under 25s, this can increase to €75
Visits to a gynecologist, increasing from €37 to €40 (prior to December 2024 this was €33.50)
Visits to a geriatrician, rising from €37 to €42 (prior to December 2024 this was €31.50)
Visits to a dermatologist for melanoma screening, increasing from €54 to €60 (prior to December 2024 this was €47.50)
Will reimbursement rates change too?
Assurance Maladie will continue to reimburse appointments with sector 1 and sector 2 OPTAM doctors at current rates (generally 70%), with most of the rest being paid out-of-pocket or via a patient’s mutuelle.
Reimbursement rates for sector 2 doctors not in the OPTAM scheme will remain at current levels.
For example an appointment with a non-OPTAM sector 2 gynaecologist has a maximum reimbursement rate of €23 (excluding mandatory franchises) regardless of the total cost.
New model for GP pay
Another change sees GPs (médecins traitant) paid on an annual flat-rate basis for each patient registered with them. Rates will be based on patient status (age, health, financial hardship), as well as the doctor’s age and location.
This flat-rate ranges from around €5 for a one-off, otherwise healthy adult, up to €100 for an over 80 with a long-term illness.
Additional supplements for providing certain preventative care, such as flu jabs, will also be paid out.
These payments make up around 15% of a GP’s annual income.
This change pertains to GP remuneration and does not change patient consultation fees or statutory reimbursement rules.
Slight changes to surgery and obstetrics payments will also come into play, through an extra €240 million in funding.
Again, this will have no impact on patient costs, but is rather part of agreements between Assurance Maladie and professionals in the sector.
A wider overhaul of medical nomenclature and associated payments from Assurance Maladie to specialists is taking place.
Around 13,000 definitions and associated payments are being revised by Assurance Maladie and unions, in the first major update of its type in over 20 years.
A full list of January 1 changes associated with Assurance Maladie can be found here.
