In your home country, you may have had a GP, general practitioner, generalist, primary care physician (PCP), internist or family doctor. In France, you will frequently hear the term médecin traitant, often shortened to MT.
A médecin traitant is the doctor you officially designate with Assurance Maladie, the French national health insurance system, as the doctor responsible for coordinating your care. Your MT will usually be a general practitioner, but it can also be a specialist.
Why should I have a médecin traitant?
There are several reasons.
1. It can affect how much you are reimbursed
When you visit a doctor in France, Assurance Maladie (French national health insurance) generally reimburses 70% of the official reimbursement rate if you have declared a médecin traitant and follow the usual referral rules.
Simply seeing the same doctor regularly is not enough. You must officially declare that doctor as your médecin traitant with Assurance Maladie to receive the normal reimbursement rate.
Without a declared MT, that reimbursement can drop to just 30%.
For example, for a standard €30 consultation with a general practitioner who charges the official rate:
- With an MT: Assurance Maladie reimburses €19, after deducting the mandatory €2 patient contribution.
- Without an MT: Assurance Maladie reimburses just €8.40.
That’s a difference of €10.60 for exactly the same appointment.
Your mutuelle (supplementary health insurance) can cover some or all of the portion that Assurance Maladie normally leaves to you, depending on your policy. However, the reduction in reimbursement for not having an MT is not covered by standard mutuelle policies.
These differences can add up, particularly if you see doctors regularly.
There are exceptions. Certain specialists, including gynecologists and ophthalmologists for specific types of care, can be consulted directly without a referral. However, having a declared MT is generally still important for receiving the normal reimbursement rate.
2. Your médecin traitant helps coordinate your healthcare
Your MT is intended to have an overall view of your health and treatments and can refer you to specialists when necessary. If you are seeing several doctors, your MT can also help make sure your care is being coordinated rather than each doctor working entirely independently.
3. A very practical reason: routine monitoring
Specialists may sometimes expect routine monitoring to be handled by your médecin traitant rather than by the specialist themselves. For example, a specialist may ask your MT to order or review routine blood tests between specialist appointments. Having an MT therefore gives you a doctor who can handle ongoing monitoring and follow-up when a specialist does not need to see you each time.
How do I declare a médecin traitant?
Once a doctor agrees to be your médecin traitant, the declaration can usually be made electronically by the doctor using your Carte Vitale, your French health insurance card.
You are not permanently tied to that doctor. You can change your médecin traitant later by declaring a new one.
What if I can’t find a doctor accepting new patients as a médecin traitant?
This is a common problem in some parts of France.
Importantly, a doctor who is not accepting new patients for registration as their médecin traitant may still have appointments available and may still see you as a patient. So if you need medical care, do not assume that “not accepting new patients as MT” necessarily means that you cannot make an appointment with that doctor at all.
You can continue seeing doctors while you search for someone willing to become your médecin traitant.
If you are having difficulty finding one, your local CPAM, Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (Primary Health Insurance Fund), may also be able to help. You can contact Assurance Maladie by calling 3646.
For more information about actually finding doctors, be sure to see our other blogs, including How Do I Find a Doctor in France?
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For help understanding your insurance coverage options, whether for visas or finding the mutuelle that fits your healthcare needs and budget, get in touch with us at MAM ASSUR. Email us at contact@mamassur.com, or compare options and request a quote.