Will treatment cost more and more? In any case, this is what many policyholders fear, who wonder if they will now have to pay the surcharge on mutual insurance companies voted by the National Assembly as part of the PLFSS. This surcharge is estimated at 1.1 billion euros.
What increase after a year already marked by an increase of +6%?
Health spending already weighs heavily on the French budget, and the prospect of a further increase rekindles concerns. According to France Info, retirees are the first to be impacted. An elderly person says that she pays 135 euros each month, an amount that she considers unsustainable. “This is unacceptable. I’ve been retired for 8 years. I’m alone and I still pay an exorbitant price“, she denounces. And these expenses should not be revised downwards, given the current trend…
The year 2025 had already been marked by a 6% increase in contributions, following the Barnier government’s desire to have members contribute more. If the adoption of a surcharge of one billion euros on mutual insurance companies has an impact on prices, this could impact access to care. A pharmacist fears that some of the insured will end their coverage… due to lack of resources.
“Unfortunately, they may need it in the event of hospitalization or otherwise, for glasses, teeth, for many other things. So yes, there is this risk of letting mutual insurance companies down because of this increase“, deplores the health professional in the columns of the same media.
An impact that should be felt in 2027
If this new imposition will end up weighing on contracts (mutual societies have the habit, when they see their costs increase, of passing this increase on to their members), this additional cost will only occur in 2027, and not in 2026.
“The tariffs are already adopted for 2026, so there will be no immediate impact. But like any VAT, when rates increase, there is a long-term impact on the cost of contracts.explains Éric Chenut, president of Mutualité française.
At this stage, the exact extent of the increase remains impossible to quantify.
Mutual insurance: how to avoid a high bill?
Several tips allow you to reduce your daily bill:
- Comparing all available offers remains by far the best way to lower the bill, as prices vary for similar guarantees;
- Adjusting your contract according to your needs – particularly for fee overruns – also avoids paying for unnecessary options;
- Some policyholders gain purchasing power by using partner healthcare networks;
- Finally, grouping several contracts within the same household can also reduce the budget.