How much does average health insurance cost?

Seniors, students, working people… health insurance is a major expense in the French budget. With its 2016 health insurance barometer, LeLynx.fr took an interest in the disparities in prices and levels of reimburement that exist according to the profiles of the insured.

As detailed in the study by the health insurance comparator LeLynx.fr , it is the students who pay the least for their health insurance. Young people must therefore plan a budget of 465 euros per year. However, the price of health insurance remains too high overall for 32% of them, revealed the LMDE in 2014. Among the health items most neglected by students is the payment of hospitalization costs. , neglected by 70% of young people insured, although it concerns all age groups.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, retirees are those for whom treatment is the most expensive: provide an average of 1,246 euros each year for health insurance. Seniors thus tend to favor higher levels of care, particularly in optics where 49% favor the two higher levels. However, the minimum reimbursement levels remain generally very chosen.

More qualitative support for active workers

Whether they belong to the general scheme or the TNS scheme (non-salaried workers), French workers tend to choose higher levels of reimbursement, resulting in high insurance rates. The average premium is 932 euros per year for the general plan (of which 25% favor the highest level of reimbursement in dental and optical) and 999 euros per year for TNS policyholders.

” The profile of the insured is obviously at the heart of the pricing of health insurance, explains Elena Betés, Managing Director of the health insurance comparator LeLynx.fr. Beyond the obvious differences in use that may exist between a student and a retiree, it is clear that all profiles tend to minimize their real health needs.  “

Tips for choosing the right insurance policy

– Analyze its real needs and optimize its contract accordingly.

– Do not sacrifice essential care stations.

– For employees, avoid duplication and keep their current insurance if it is more suitable than that offered by their company.

The essential

Most of the Social Security budget obviously concerns the services it provides (retirement, healthcare reimbursement, family allowances, etc.). But there are also management costs, necessary in particular to pay the staff who provide these services, welcome and inform users.

If these management costs are very low in proportion (between 1 and 4% of the budget depending on the branch, compared to 17 to 20% on average for insurance companies), it does not prevent Social Security from controlling them. .

This is what she does at the same time:

• by striving to promote continuous improvement of its efficiency ;
• by innovating and developing new services , for example to favor dematerialized, simpler and faster exchanges.

These efforts are reflected in the objectives and management agreements (COG) , concluded between the State and the social security funds, which set service quality objectives over a period of 4 to 5 years, program developments and innovations and determine current operating budgets.

Each year, nearly €13.5 billion is devoted to the operation of all the compulsory social security schemes. About 60% of these expenses correspond to personnel expenses, the remaining 40% corresponding to current operating expenses.