The French health system is universal and funded by compulsory social security contributions. All residents are eligible for public health coverage, ensuring broad access to care. Healthcare is delivered by a mix of public hospitals, private clinics, and France has a lower physician density than the EU average, with about 3.2 self-employed medical professionalsmost of whom are contracted to provide services at regulated fees. doctors per 1,000 inhabitants in 2021,3 compared to 4.1 per 1,0003 across the EU. Health insurance is mandatory. Basic coverage (via Assurance Maladie) reimburses the main part of standard care; private the past decade.3 The current and anticipated shortage is exacerbated by an aging insurers cover the rest (e.g, dental and optical care, which are poorly reimbursed by the public system). Since 2016, al private- sector employers are required to offer complementary health insurance to their employees, and around 95% of the population Access disparities are significant. Rural and low-density areas are particularly affected, leading to s0-called "medical deserts." In 2024, 6 million French people did The market is dominated by mutuelles (nonprofits), with some for-profit insurers also active. Regulation strongly applies to so- not have a regular general practitioner, and 87% of the territory was classified as a medical desert.5 Patients in these areas often struggle to find a regular family and the principle of solidarity (no medical risk selection and community-rated contributions). doctor, and waiting times for some specialists exceed three months in many regions. At the same time, hospital bed availability—-a key indicator of system capacity—-has fallen sharply over recent decades. In 2021, there were about 5.7 beds per 1,000 inhabitants,3 still above the EU average of 4.83 but far below France's historical peak of 11 per 1,0006 in the early 1980s. Nearly all French residents have some form of complementary health insurance, and the market is mature. Most of these policies are employer-sponsored group offer coverage. It will be similar in the public service because of a social protection reforms, with employer contributions gradually increasing by 2026. Most contracts are responsible contracts, which means they follow a community-rating principle and are subject to minimum coverage standards. The rest are individual policies, often purchased through mutual insurance associations. services partially reimbursed by the public healthcare. Reforms like "100% Sante" highest levels in Europe (second only to Germany). In absolute terms, spending has continued to rise steadily: Current health expenditure (2019-2021) expanded coverage for dental, optical, and hearing care without OOP reached about 333 billion in 20241 (all payers combined), representing a year-on-year increase of 3.6% (compared to 2.0% inflation). costs, but this also shifted part of the funding onto complementary insurers. The public sector (Assurance Maladie) finances most of the spending, while complementary insurers and households cover the remainder. In recent years, public insurance and complementary insurers have slightly increased their share of total costs, partly due to reforms such as private hospital rooms or alternative medicines). In recent years, complementary "100% Sante" (2019-2021), which expanded coverage for dental, optical, and hearing care with no O0P spending. As a result, the share of household 00P spending has declined: In 2024, it represented only 7.8%1 of health consumption expenditure, down from 8.4%2 in 2019. insurers have expanded into new areas. For example, many now reimburse osteopathy or psychological therapy sessions, which are not paid for by the public Overall in 2024, state funding and mandatory insurance together accounted for 79.4%1 of total health expenditure, while complementary insurance, as a way to attract customers.