Mandatory health insurance 2026 FR

Since 1 January 2016, every private sector employer in France must offer a collective complementary health insurance plan ("mutuelle d'entreprise") to all employees, finance at least 50% of the premium, and meet the minimum "ANI care basket" defined by law. The obligation comes from the National Interprofessional Agreement (ANI) of 11 January 2013 and Law n°2013-504 of 14 June 2013. In 2026, the rules are unchanged in substance; only a handful of regulated exemption cases let an employee opt out. For more on insurance in France, see our complete guides.

> **Key takeaways**

> - Mandatory for every private sector employer since 1 January 2016 (Article L. 911-7 of the Code de la sécurité sociale).

> - Employer must finance **at least 50%** of the premium; employee covers the rest.

> - Contract must meet the **ANI minimum care basket** (ticket modérateur, hospital daily allowance, dental, optical).

> - Exemption cases are limited and listed in Decree n°2015-1883 — most must be in writing.

> - **Portability** keeps your cover free for up to 12 months after leaving the company (Article L. 911-8).

> - Dependants may be covered mandatorily or optionally depending on the establishment act.

> - In case of dispute, you can contact the Médiateur de l'Assurance or the ACPR (French Prudential Authority).

Who is concerned in 2026?

All employees on a French private sector contract are covered, regardless of seniority, working time, or contract type — except in the specific exemption cases described below. Public sector agents are governed by separate rules (the protection sociale complémentaire reform, phased in since 2024 for the State civil service).

The obligation applies to the employer, not the employee: it is the company that must subscribe, finance, and enrol all eligible staff. The Service-Public.fr official page on the employer's collective health insurance summarises the same rules.

What the employer must provide

Employer contribution: minimum 50%

The employer's share is calculated on the total premium, including dependants if their cover is mandatory under the establishment act. The 50% floor is regulated; collective bargaining agreements (conventions collectives) frequently push it to 60% or 70%.

The ANI minimum care basket

The contract must reimburse at minimum:

**Ticket modérateur in full** on consultations, procedures and analyses reimbursed by Sécurité Sociale, within the coordinated care pathway.
**Forfait journalier hospitalier** (hospital daily allowance) without a time limit.
**Dental prostheses and orthodontics**: 125% of the Sécurité Sociale base rate.
**Optical**: flat-rate allowance every 2 years (or every year for minors or for a change in correction), with the 100% Santé basket fully covered.

This is the minimum. Most contracts go further, particularly on optical, dental and audiology, where the 100% Santé reform now imposes a zero-out-of-pocket basket.

The "responsible contract" criteria

To benefit from social and tax advantages, the contract must comply with the "contrat responsable" specifications (decree of 8 June 2006, amended). These rules limit reimbursements of excess fees from non-contracted practitioners (médecins non-OPTAM), regulate optical reimbursements and impose respect of the 100% Santé reform.

Exemption cases: when you can opt out

The exemption list is set by Decree n°2015-1883 of 30 December 2015. The request must always be in writing and accompanied by proof.

Automatic exemptions (no clause needed in the establishment act)

**Short fixed-term or temporary contracts** of less than 3 months, when the employer offers health payment vouchers ("versement santé") or when the employee proves they already have individual responsible cover.
**Very part-time employees** (apprentices and part-time workers) for whom the employee contribution would represent at least **10% of their gross salary**.
**Beneficiaries of Complementary Solidarity Health Insurance (CSS) or State Medical Aid (AME)** — until the right ends.
**Already covered by an individual contract** at the date the company plan is set up — exemption valid until the individual contract expires.

Exemptions provided in the establishment act

These must be explicitly listed in the unilateral decision, collective agreement or referendum that set up the scheme:

**Employees covered as dependants** by their spouse's or partner's own mandatory company plan.
**Employees present at scheme set-up** (when not 100% employer-financed) who refuse in writing.
**Fixed-term contracts of 3 months or more** when already covered by another responsible contract.
**Apprentices and very short contracts** under specific salary thresholds.

The request must usually be renewed each year and supporting documents kept on file by the employer.

Dependants: who is covered?

Whether the spouse, civil partner, cohabitant or dependent children are covered depends on the establishment act. Three set-ups are common:

**Mandatory family cover**: the employer also contributes 50% of the additional premium.
**Optional family cover**: the employee adds dependants at their own cost.
**Single-only contract** with a separate quote available for the family.

The exact definition of "dependant" (age limits for children, situation of cohabitants) is specified in the contract notice ("notice d'information") that the insurer must hand you.

Portability of rights: keeping cover after leaving

Under Article L. 911-8 of the Code de la sécurité sociale, when you leave the company you can keep the same complementary health cover **free of charge** for a period equal to your last employment contract, capped at **12 months**.

Conditions

The termination must open rights to unemployment benefits (so not gross misconduct — "faute lourde" in some interpretations).
You must register with **France Travail** (formerly Pôle Emploi).
The cover is free for you; the cost is mutualised on the remaining employees.

When portability stops

Portability ends as soon as you find new employment with comparable cover, when your unemployment rights end, or at the 12-month cap, whichever comes first.

Sector-specific rules and collective agreements

Many branch agreements ("accords de branche") improve on the legal minimum, sometimes by a wide margin: higher employer share, mandatory family cover, mandatory portability of dependants. Common examples include the Syntec, hospitality (HCR), and metallurgy collective agreements.

Some branches "recommend" or designate specific insurance organisations. You cannot be forced to subscribe to a designated insurer, but the recommended contract usually offers the best price/coverage ratio for the sector.

What if there is a dispute?

If you believe your employer's plan does not meet the ANI minimum, or your insurer wrongly refuses an exemption or portability claim:

**Internal claims first**: write to your insurer's customer service.
**The Médiateur de l'Assurance**: free, independent mediation (mediation-assurance.org).
**The ACPR** (French Prudential Authority — acpr.banque-france.fr) supervises insurers and can investigate practices.
**For employer obligations**: the inspection du travail and the conseil de prud'hommes are the competent routes.
For data and reimbursement disputes about Sécurité Sociale itself, see ameli.fr.

Conclusion

Mandatory company health insurance is now part of the standard French employment package, with a regulated minimum cover and a tightly framed exemption list. In practice the most-asked questions in 2026 still concern exemptions, family cover and portability after leaving — all questions the establishment act and contract notice should answer. Keep both documents; ask HR for a copy if you have lost them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I refuse my company health insurance in France in 2026?

Only in the exemption cases listed by Decree n°2015-1883 of 30 December 2015 — for example if you are already covered as a dependant of your spouse's mandatory plan, if you hold CSS or AME, or if you are on a contract of less than 3 months. The refusal must be in writing with supporting proof.

How much must my employer contribute to my mutuelle?

At least 50% of the total premium for the level of cover required by the ANI care basket. Many collective agreements set a higher share (60% or 70%).

What is the minimum cover the company plan must offer?

The "ANI minimum care basket": ticket modérateur in full on reimbursed consultations and procedures, the forfait journalier hospitalier without time limit, 125% of the base rate for dental prostheses and orthodontics, and a flat optical allowance every 2 years. The 100% Santé basket (optical, dental, audiology) must be fully covered.

How long can I keep my company health insurance after leaving?

Up to 12 months, free of charge, under the portability scheme (Article L. 911-8 of the Code de la sécurité sociale), provided you register with France Travail and your departure opens unemployment rights.

Are my children automatically covered by my company plan?

It depends on the establishment act. Cover for dependants can be mandatory, optional, or excluded. Check the "notice d'information" the insurer must hand you when you join.

What can I do if my employer does not offer a compliant mutuelle?

Send a written reminder to HR, then report the situation to the labour inspectorate (inspection du travail). For complaints against the insurer specifically, contact the Médiateur de l'Assurance or the ACPR.

Sources

Last updated 28 May 2026. checkeverything.fr is an information portal; this article is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or insurance advice. Workplace insurance rules depend on your employer's establishment act and your applicable collective bargaining agreement. For your specific situation, consult your HR department, a labour-law adviser, or the official sources listed above.

Mandatory Workplace Health Insurance in France (2026 Guide)