Difficulty in paying hospital fees: how to be helped?

Verified 01 March 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Having trouble paying for the hospitalization costs that you are responsible for? You can ask for support, financial assistance and avoid the hospital asking for payment from one of your relatives. We're laying out the regulations for you.

The Health Insurance (Social Security) reimburses you a part of hospitalization costs under certain conditions.

The other part of these costs (e.g. hospital plan) is normally your responsibility.

In case of difficulties to pay, financial aid can be assigned to you means-tested.

FYI  

Such aid may also contribute to the financing of a supplementary health cover, to compensate for loss of wages, to contribute to the costs of household help (for example, during hospital discharge).

Help is thus possible to allow you, when the care is medically warranted, to cover non-reimbursed expenses (e.g. dentures, optics, hearing aids, hospital costs).

To obtain assistance, you prepare a request for assistance and send it to your health insurance fund.

It is possible to do this on the Internet or by telephone.

Please note

Health Insurance can help you with your efforts. To be accompaniedHowever, you must contact the Health Insurance.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

On the Internet

The aid shall be paid:

  • Either to yourself
  • Either directly to the third party (e.g. healthcare professional) to avoid an advance payment.

Apply for financial assistance to pay for hospitalization

By telephone

The aid shall be paid:

  • Either to yourself
  • Either directly to the third party (e.g. healthcare professional) to avoid an advance payment
Who shall I contact

  • Health insurance - 3646

    To obtain information about your rights and procedures, ask a question about your file, report a change of situation or consult your refunds.

    By telephone

    3646

    Open from Monday to Friday.

    Caution : schedules vary according to your department.

    As a general rule, opening hours are at least from 8:30 am to 5 pm.

    Free service + call price, from a fixed or mobile phone.

    From Mayotte, dial 02 69 61 91 91, Monday to Thursday from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm, Friday from 7:30 am to 12 pm.

    From the foreigner: +33 1 84 90 36 46 (toll free + call price).

    To facilitate the answers, remember to bring your Vitale card.

    By email and chat

    Log in to your Ameli account  : click on "My steps" and then "consult my exchange space".

    You can also use ameliBOT. This chatbot can help you send an email. He can put you in touch with your health insurance fund.

    Indeed, if at the end of 2 requests, ameliBOT does not provide you with a satisfactory answer, you can contact a health insurance advisor via the exchange area of the Ameli account.

Warning  

Your loved ones may be called upon by the hospital. The hospital may ask the following persons to pay the hospitalization costs:

  • Your husband or wife. This action is possible even if you are de facto or de corps separated. Only the divorce that has become final ends the obligation to provide assistance between the spouses.

  • Your children (including your son-in-law or daughter-in-law), as maintenance obligations. Your son-in-law and/or daughter-in-law may be required to contribute to the cost of hospitalization unless their spouse and the couple's children have died.

The obligation of solidarity does not exist between the concubines.

The hospital can also ask the insurers responsible for the accident to pay the hospitalization costs if you are the victim of an accident.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region