Health in France, although partly care, becomes more and more expensive for households. In 2025, a generalized increase in medical prices and mutuals could weigh heavily on finances, especially for retirees, often more exposed to regular consultations.
Since December 2024, medical consultations prices have been revised upwards. Thus, the price of a consultation with a general practitioner approved sector 1 increased from 26.50 euros to 30 euros. Specialists do not escape this trend: a visit to a gynecologist now costs 37 euros against 33.50 euros before, while consultations with psychiatrists or neurologists increase to 55 euros, against 51.70 euros previously.
This increase also concerns consultations in geriatrics, a crucial area for elderly patients. These increases, although justified by the revaluation of medical fees, particularly impact retirees, who consult on average between 4 and 12 times a year, according to a Statita study.
An increase in mutuals that weighs on budgets
In parallel, the price of health mutuals, essential to complete social security reimbursements, continues to climb. After an increase of 8.1 % in 2024, monthly premiums increased by an additional 6 % in 2025, bringing the average expenditure to 102 euros per month.
With 96 % of French people with additional coverage, this development concerns a majority of households. However, for the elderly, who depend more on regular and costly consultations, this additional cost is added to inflation already difficult to absorb.
Despite these increases, the French double reimbursement system limits the direct expenditure of patients. For a consultation with a general practitioner at 30 euros, Social Security reimburses 70 %, less a lump sum participation of 2 euros.
-The rest at the expense is thus 11 euros, of which 9 euros can be covered by a mutual, the 2 euros still remaining at the expense of the patient. However, for retirees without complementary health, the cost of consultations can represent a significant annual expenditure, oscillating between 44 and 132 euros depending on the frequency of visits.
Retirees on the front line
Retirees, due to their increased need for medical care, are particularly exposed to this increase in health spending. The revaluation of pensions, although in line with inflation, does not fully compensate for these increases. The combination of revised medical fees and higher mutual bonuses could further weaken the purchasing power of this population.
In 2025, the French will have to deal with an increasingly expensive health system, especially for retirees. If the double reimbursement limits certain dependent remains, the simultaneous increase in medical prices and mutuals highlights the need for reforms to preserve the accessibility of care. In this context, the balance between quality of medical services and financial accessibility remains a priority for decision -makers.
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