Health care in France

Abstract

In 2015, the WHO recognized health care in France as the best in the world. It has the highest average life expectancy in Europe, the lowest mortality from cardiovascular diseases, and one of the highest birth rates. The state spends 11.8 % of its GDP on health care, ranking third in the world after the USA (17.4 %) and the Netherlands (12 %). France has a complex system uniting private and public sectors that provide medical services and health care financing. The system is based on the principles of compulsory health insurance, which is largely complemented by voluntary one. The national health insurance system, overseen by the Ministry of Social Affairs, covers 99 % of the country’s population and provides equitable access to guaranteed health care. A wide range of almost unlimited medical services is available not only in the hospital sector, but also in the outpatient one. The national insurance system is an integral part of the compulsory social security system.