Healthcare in Paris: how French medicine works day to day, from your médecin traitant to the ER

French healthcare is cheap by American standards, but it isn't free and it isn't automatic. The trick is setting yourself up the French way: a declared family doctor, a top-up policy and a few numbers saved in your phone.

The short version

• A standard GP visit with a sector 1 doctor costs €30 (about USD 33). The Assurance Maladie reimburses 70% of it, minus a €2 fixed contribution, if you're in the coordinated care pathway [1][2].
• Declare a médecin traitant (your designated GP). Skip it and your reimbursement drops to 30% [2].
• Sector 2 doctors can charge more than the official rate, and the extra comes out of your pocket or your top-up insurance (mutuelle) [1].
• Life-threatening emergency? Call 15 (SAMU) or 112 [3].
• English-speaking care exists: the US Embassy keeps a list of English-speaking doctors, and the private American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine runs a 24/7 unit for adults [4][5].

Getting into the system in the first place (PUMa, your social security number and the carte Vitale) is a separate process; our carte Vitale guide covers it. This guide is about using care once you're in.

USD conversions use the Federal Reserve H.10 rate of October 30, 2026 (EUR 1 = USD 1.1163) [6].

How the money works

Back home, the question is "is this doctor in my network?" In France, it's "what sector is this doctor in, and is my médecin traitant on file?"

Every doctor who works with the Assurance Maladie charges based on an official rate (the tarif de convention). The public system pays a share, and your mutuelle, the top-up insurance most French residents carry through work or on their own, pays most of the rest.

Here's how a €30 GP visit plays out, using the numbers in Connexion's 2026 guide [1] and Qare [2]:

That €2 contribution (participation forfaitaire) is deducted from each visit's reimbursement and capped per year; children under 18 and some other groups are exempt [2]. If you have a carte Vitale, the doctor swipes it and the reimbursement lands in your bank account within days. No claim forms, no explanation of benefits.

Sector 1, sector 2, and the "non-conventionné" exception

• Secteur 1: the doctor charges the official rate. No surprises.
• Secteur 2: the doctor can charge extra (dépassements d'honoraires). Many specialists in central Paris are sector 2, and the extra can be significant. Doctors who sign the OPTAM agreement promise to keep those extras moderate, and their patients get the full reimbursement base [1].
• Non-conventionné: rare, but these doctors set their own fees and the public reimbursement is tiny. Check before you book.

Booking apps and the Assurance Maladie's own doctor directory show a doctor's sector and typical fees. A good mutuelle covers sector 2 extras up to a stated percentage, so read your policy's table of guarantees (the "tableau de garanties") the way you'd read a US plan's summary of benefits.

Your médecin traitant

The médecin traitant is the gatekeeper, like a PCP in an HMO. You choose one, they agree, and you declare it to the Assurance Maladie (the doctor can usually do it online in a minute during your visit).

Why bother:

• It's what gets you the full 70% reimbursement rate [2].
• Seeing a specialist without a referral from them usually cuts your reimbursement, though some specialists can be seen directly, including gynecologists and eye doctors [1].
• Your doctor coordinates prescriptions, lab work and referrals.

The catch in Paris: many GPs have full patient lists and won't take on a new médecin traitant. Ask friends, ask the doctor you see for a one-off visit, and keep asking. It can take a few tries.

Pharmacies: your first stop for small stuff

Look for the green cross. French pharmacists are trained to handle minor problems, and they'll often look at a rash, recommend something for a cold or tell you to see a doctor. Many medicines you'd grab off a shelf at a CVS back home, including some common painkillers and cold medicines, are kept behind the counter in France, so you ask the pharmacist.

• Prescriptions are filled at any pharmacy; show your carte Vitale and, if you have one, your mutuelle card, and you often pay little or nothing up front (the tiers payant).
• Generic substitution is the norm. Expect French brand names for drugs you know by US names, so bring the generic (chemical) name of anything you take regularly.
• At night and on Sundays, pharmacies take turns staying open (pharmacie de garde). The sign on a closed pharmacy's door tells you the nearest one.

When it's urgent

Emergency numbers

The French government's list of emergency numbers [3]:

Here's the big difference from 911: when you call 15, a doctor (the médecin régulateur) assesses you on the phone and decides what you need. That might be an ambulance, an ER, a house call or advice. Stay calm, say "Je suis américain(e), je parle anglais" if you need to, and give your exact address, including the building code and floor.

Urgences (the ER)

Public hospitals in Paris are run by the AP-HP, and their emergency departments (urgences) see everyone. Patients are seen by medical priority, so a sprained ankle at 9 p.m. can mean a long wait. For a child, Paris has dedicated pediatric ERs; ask 15 which one to go to.

Not an emergency, but can't wait

• SOS Médecins sends doctors on house calls and runs walk-in centers; the US Embassy lists 3624 as its number [4].
• Many GPs keep a few same-day slots, and video consultations are common; ask whether one is covered before you book.

English-speaking care

You won't always find a doctor who speaks English, but in Paris you have more options than anywhere else in France.

• The US Embassy's list. The embassy publishes a list of English-speaking doctors under its medical assistance page and points travelers to SOS Médecins for non-emergency advice [4]. The embassy's page was last updated in September 2024, so confirm details with the practice.
• The American Hospital of Paris. A private, not-for-profit hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine, just west of the city, founded in 1906 [5][7]. Its 24/7 medical-surgical unit handles acute medical and surgical problems for patients 16 and older [5]. Being private, its fees are generally higher than public hospital rates, so check with the hospital and your mutuelle about what you'll pay before planned care.
• Booking apps. Most French booking apps let you filter by languages spoken.

Your US coverage

Medicare generally doesn't pay for care in France. If you're approaching 65, our Medicare guide explains the Part B decision. If you fly home a lot, check whether your French mutuelle or an international policy covers US care, because an ER visit stateside without coverage can cost more than a year of French premiums.

Getting set up

1. Get into the system (PUMa and the carte Vitale; see our guide).
2. Pick a mutuelle, through your employer if they offer one, or on your own.
3. Find and declare a médecin traitant.
4. Save 15 and 112 in your cell phone, along with your building's door code.
5. Know your nearest urgences and the nearest pharmacie de garde.
6. Bring your prescriptions' generic names and enough medicine for your first weeks.

Doctor recommendations, especially English-speaking ones taking new patients, are among the most traded tips in our community group for Americans in France.

Sources

1. Connexion France: Doctor sectors affect your reimbursements
2. Qare: Prix d'une consultation chez le médecin et forfait de 2 €
3. Service-Public.fr: Numéros d'urgence
4. US Embassy in France: Medical assistance
5. American Hospital of Paris
6. Federal Reserve: H.10 foreign exchange rates
7. Wikipedia: American Hospital of Paris

Keep reading

• Carte Vitale and French health coverage
• Cost of living in Paris vs New York
• Medicare when you live abroad
• Health insurance between countries