The costs of complementary health insurance for seniors increased by 5% in 2023, according to a study by Meilleurtaux assurances. If prices for those over 60 or 70 are high everywhere, some retirees fare better than others depending on their department of residence.
200 to 300 € of mutual insurance per month? A price that many workers do not even suspect. When you are active and in your prime, mutual insurance prices remain more or less affordable. But as soon as you reach retirement, prices skyrocket.
The prices of complementary health insurance increased by an average of 4.92% in 2023 for a senior couple aged at least 60, according to a study by the site Best insurance. They must pay €3,032 per year or €252.66 per month. For a couple over 70, it is even more expensive: €3,667 per year or €305.58 per month.
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For comparison, a 25-year-old single person pays €33.84 per month on average and a thirty-year-old working couple with two children €100.14 every month. The proof is that it has been known for a long time that the French are not equal in terms of health depending on their age.
The French are not equal either depending on where they live. Under equal conditions, according to Meilleurtaux insurance, a couple in their sixties must pay €285.26 per month for their complementary health insurance in Paris – this is the highest in France – compared to €195.68 in Moselle, the least expensive department. The departments of Occitanie and Lot-et-Garonne are within the national average:
- Ariège : €251.32 for 60 years and over; €3,014.16 for 70 years and over
- Aude : €254.14 for 60 years and over; €308.46 for 70 years and over
- Aveyron : €246.59 for 60 years and over; €298.57 for 70 years and over
- Gard : €260.50 for 60 years and over; €315.10 for 70 years and over
- Haute-Garonne : €269.58 for 60 years and over; €324.7 for 70 years and over
- Gers : €254.76 for 60 years and over; €308.01 for 70 years and over
- Hérault : €262.68 for 60 years and over; €318.10 for 70 years and over
- Batch : €244.95 for 60 years and over; €296.54 for 70 years and over
- Lot-et-Garonne : €247.63 for 60 years and over; €300.81 for 70 years and over
- Lozere : €252.16 for 60 years and over; €304.97 for 70 years and over
- Hautes-Pyrénées : €253.29 for 60 years and over; €304.05 for 70 years and over
- Eastern Pyrenees : €257.44 for 60 years and over; €309.10 for 70 years and over
- Tarn : €254.58 for 60 years and over; €305.70 for 70 years and over
- Tarn-et-Garonne : €255.36 for 60 years and over; €307.54 for 70 years and over
“Contributions are soaring”
In a study published in January 2023, the UFC Que Choisir had already announced a 7.1% jump in complementary health insurance in 2023. A “blow on purchasing power”, the consumer association then commented which had scrutinized 594 contracts from 128 organizations and denounced, at the same time, a lack of transparency in insurance, provident institutions and mutual societies.
100% health
But how can such significant differences between departments be explained? “The care offers are not the same from one region to another,” explains South West Carine Milcent, research director at CNRS and health systems specialist. “The share of practitioners in sector 1 or 2 is not the same, and with practitioners in sector 2, the level of fee overruns is not the same depending on where you live.” Consequence: the amounts to be reimbursed are not the same for insurers and what they pass on to their policyholders.
Second explanation: the aging of the population. Out of 68 million French people on January 1, 2023, 18.6 million are over 60 years old, according to INSEE figures. With an aging population, chronic diseases are on the rise. Long-term infections are nevertheless covered by Health Insurance.
Last but not least: the entry into force of 100% health. This reform carried by Emmanuel Macron allows full coverage of optical costs, dental costs and audiology costs since 2021. An additional cost which weighs on mutual insurance companies.