Family Health Insurance in France

If you are living in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, or any large French city, you will quickly discover that most of the specialists your family needs — paediatricians, orthodontists, child psychiatrists, dermatologists — practice in Secteur 2. This means they are legally authorised to charge above the regulated rate. The right family health insurance plan accounts for this from the start.

The gap between their fee and the Assurance Maladie base rate is called the dépassement d’honoraires. For a child’s orthodontic treatment in Paris, for example, a Secteur 2 orthodontist may charge two to three times the tarif de convention. Assurance Maladie reimburses the base fraction only. A poorly chosen mutuelle covers a small portion of the rest. The family absorbs the difference — across months or years of treatment.

The OPTAM agreement (Option Pratique Tarifaire Maîtrisée) is the solution most families never hear about. OPTAM practitioners are Secteur 2 doctors who voluntarily moderate their fees. In exchange, they receive better reimbursement from Assurance Maladie — and families with OPTAM-compatible family health insurance plans receive significantly better coverage on every consultation and treatment.

Our advisors identify OPTAM-certified paediatricians, orthodontists, and child specialists in your specific city before recommending a plan. That matters more than almost any other variable in your mutuelle choice.

What you get with Best French Insurance for family health insurance

We are not a comparison website. We are not a call centre. We are a bilingual concierge service built specifically for English-speaking families who need family health insurance in France.

Here is what that means in practice:

• No French forms. Ever. We handle every document in English on your behalf.
• No call centres. You speak to the same advisor from first contact to active cover — and beyond.
• No guesswork. We explain what you are buying, what it costs, and exactly what it covers, in plain English, before you commit.
• A confirmed quote in 24 hours. Tell us your household profile and we come back with a clear comparison — not a stack of policy documents.
• Cover backed by Generali — one of Europe’s largest and most established insurance groups, operating across 50+ countries, with full French infrastructure and financial solidity.
• Active cover within 2 to 3 business days of choosing your plan. No waiting periods for routine care under most plans.
• Ongoing bilingual support for claims, renewals, household changes, and any question that comes up — in English, for as long as you are our client.

Family health insurance cover typically ranges from €150 to €350 per month for a household of four, depending on ages, city, and cover level. Your advisor gives you a precise figure — not a generic estimate.

For a broader overview of how the French health system works before you speak to us, visit our guide to health insurance in France.

What families in Lyon, Paris, and Bordeaux say about their family health insurance with us

We do not ask for reviews. These are messages our clients sent us after getting family health insurance sorted through Best French Insurance.

“We arrived in Lyon with two children and zero idea how the French system worked. Within a week, Best French Insurance had us covered and had explained in clear English exactly what our mutuelle included and what it did not. Knowing the PUMA gap was covered from day one was the thing that gave us real peace of mind.” — Sarah and Tom B., British family, Lyon.

“Moving to Paris for my husband’s job meant juggling school enrolments, housing, and insurance at once. Our advisor sorted the family health cover in 48 hours. No French forms, no confusion, just a confirmation and a policy that actually made sense.” — Jennifer K., American expat, Paris.

“Our daughter needed orthodontic treatment and I was dreading what it would cost. Our advisor explained the OPTAM system, found an OPTAM orthodontist in Bordeaux, and built a plan around it. The reimbursement on the first treatment was far better than we expected — and I would never have known to ask for that without their guidance.” — Marc and Claire D., Canadian family, Bordeaux.