How do you get reimbursed after a doctor’s appointment?

Have you seen a doctor in France and want to know how to get some of the costs reimbursed? The process differs depending on whether you have a Vitale card, a temporary certificate of entitlement or a paper claim form. We’ll walk you through it 💙

1. Check that your French health insurance coverage is active

To receive a reimbursement from the French public health insurance system, Assurance Maladie, you must be registered and have active coverage on the date of your appointment.

Do you have a temporary social security number? You can receive reimbursements according to your entitlement, even without a Vitale card. Your temporary certificate of entitlement proves your coverage.

If your registration is still being processed, keep your claim forms and supporting documents. Contact your CPAM to check when your coverage starts and how to request reimbursement.

💡 CPAM stands for Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie. It is the local health insurance fund that manages your file and reimbursements.

Are you covered by a European Health Insurance Card or private insurance? The process may differ. Check the requirements with the organisation providing your coverage.

2. You presented your Vitale card to the doctor

This is usually the simplest situation! The doctor uses your Vitale card to send an electronic claim form to Assurance Maladie.

If the information was successfully transmitted, you normally do not need to send any documents for that appointment.

Your reimbursement is paid into the bank account registered in your file. Make sure your bank details, known as your RIB, have been provided and are up to date.

Please note: your Vitale card is not a payment card. You may need to pay for your appointment before receiving reimbursement. If the doctor offers tiers payant, or third-party payment, you do not pay the covered portion upfront. This does not necessarily mean the appointment is completely free.

3. You did not use a Vitale card

If you do not have a Vitale card yet, forgot it or the doctor cannot use it, ask for a paper claim form, called a feuille de soins.

An invoice or payment receipt generally does not replace this form when claiming reimbursement for your appointment.

➡️Complete and sign your claim form

Check the information entered by the doctor. Add any missing details, including your social security number, and sign the form where indicated.

If you only have a temporary number, use the one shown on your certificate of entitlement. Ask your CPAM for help if you are unsure.

➡️Send it to your CPAM

You can send the original by post with sufficient postage or drop it off at one of your CPAM’s reception points. Keep a copy or photo before sending it.

👉 Find the address for sending your claim form — in French

Can you send it from your phone?

Yes, for certain appointments, using the Compte ameli app. Go to “Mes démarches” → “Feuille de soins – médecin”.

This service accepts forms issued by a GP or specialist outside healthcare facilities such as hospitals, for amounts up to and including €100. You can submit a maximum of 5 reimbursement requests within 30 days, covering yourself and your dependants. Follow the instructions in the app.

Once you have successfully submitted the form through the app, do not send it again by post. Keep the original for 27 months.

If you cannot access an ameli account, you can still send the form by post. You do not need to wait until you can create your account to request reimbursement.

4. How much will you receive?

Your reimbursement depends on several factors:

The doctor’s fees and fee sector.
The official reimbursement basis set by Assurance Maladie.
Whether you follow the coordinated care pathway, including registering a regular doctor.
Your personal circumstances and any exemptions.

Example: a €30 appointment

For an adult subject to the fixed contribution, a standard appointment with their registered GP practising in sector 1, in mainland France, is reimbursed as follows:

Item	Amount
Appointment fee	€30
Reimbursement at 70%, before deduction	€21
Fixed contribution deducted	€2
Amount reimbursed by Assurance Maladie	€19
Remaining cost before any complementary insurance reimbursement	€11

This is an example: other appointments may have different fees and reimbursement amounts. Some people are exempt from the fixed contribution, including those under 18 and beneficiaries of Complémentaire santé solidaire.

Watch out for additional fees, known as dépassements d’honoraires. Reimbursement is calculated using an official basis, which may be lower than the amount you paid.

👉 Check consultation fees and reimbursements — in French

💡 Register your regular doctor, known as your médecin traitant, to receive better reimbursements. Seeking care outside the coordinated care pathway may reduce your reimbursement, unless an exception applies.

5. What if you have complementary health insurance?

Complementary health insurance, often called a mutuelle, may reimburse some of the remaining costs, depending on your policy.

If automatic information sharing between Assurance Maladie and your insurer is activated, the details are generally sent without you needing to do anything.

Otherwise, download your reimbursement statement, called a décompte de remboursement, from your ameli account and ask your insurer how to submit the necessary documents.

In the example above, your complementary insurance may cover the €9 patient share, known as the ticket modérateur, depending on your benefits. The €2 fixed contribution is not reimbursed under policies classified as contrats responsables.

6. How long does reimbursement take?

Processing times depend on how the claim is submitted:

With a Vitale card: reimbursement generally takes around one week after electronic transmission.
With a paper claim form: the timeframe depends on your CPAM’s processing times.

You can check estimated processing times in your ameli account under “Mes démarches”, by entering the date you posted or dropped off your form.

👉 Access your ameli account — portal in French

Any reimbursement from your complementary insurer may arrive separately, on a different date.

7. Still waiting for your reimbursement?

Before contacting your health insurance fund, check:

That your coverage was active on the date of the appointment.
That your bank details are correct.
That the doctor transmitted the claim, or that you sent your signed form.
That you have not been asked to provide additional documents.
That your CPAM’s estimated processing time has passed.

Then check the “Paiements” section of your ameli account. If you still need help, use ameliBot to find the available contact options.

If you do not have an ameli account, call 3646 from France — the service is free, plus the cost of the call. Have your social security number, appointment date, amount paid and document submission date ready.

👉 What to do if you have not received a reimbursement — in French

8. Send your documents promptly

For healthcare related to illness, the deadline for sending a claim form is the end of the same calendar quarter, two years after the treatment. It is still best to send it as soon as possible.

If you lose your claim form, ask the doctor for a duplicate. Avoid submitting multiple claims for the same appointment.

💙 A useful habit after every appointment: keep your documents, check whether the doctor transmitted your claim and review your reimbursement before discarding any paperwork.