Starting January 1, 2027, France’s national health insurance will cover less of certain medical devices, including hearing aids. A decree published in the Official Journal on August 22, 2026, indeed plans to increase the share of costs borne by private supplemental health insurance plans.
Hearing aid reimbursement: what’s changing on January 1, 2027
Today, for adults aged 20 and over, the national health insurance reimburses a hearing aid up to 60% of a reference base set at 400 euros per ear. This amounts to 240 euros reimbursed by the health insurance per device, with the remainder potentially covered by the supplemental health plan, depending on the device type and the contract subscribed to. But this system will evolve starting on January 1, 2027.
The decree No. 2026-810 of August 21, 2026 raises the limits of the “ticket modérateur,” i.e., the portion of the reference tariff that is not funded by the health insurance. The applicable range moves from 40-50% to 50-60%. In practice, if the ticket modérateur is set at 50%, the health insurance would fund only 50% of the base of 400 euros, i.e., 200 euros per device. If it is set at 60%, its participation would drop to 40% of this base, i.e., 160 euros per device. The reduction in the health insurance’s share would thus be between 40 and 80 euros per ear compared with the 240 euros currently reimbursed. For two devices, the funding shift could thus reach 80 to 160 euros.
This Is Not a Total Withdrawal of Hearing Aid Reimbursement
Hearing devices will continue to be reimbursed in 2027. What changes is mainly the distribution of funding between France’s national health insurance and supplemental health plans. The government notes that the decree’s objective is to have supplemental organizations contribute more to reduce the expenditures of mandatory health insurance. Solidarity and responsible contracts would account for around 95% of all supplemental health plans sold, according to the decree’s official briefing. For the insured, the consequences will therefore depend essentially on the category of device chosen and their supplemental health plan.
A hearing aid is divided into two major categories. Devices in Class I belong to the 100% Santé basket. For an adult, their price is currently capped at 950 euros per ear. With a responsible health plan, the combination of health insurance and the supplemental plan should provide full coverage: the insured pays no out-of-pocket costs. The reduction in health insurance reimbursement planned for 2027 does not undermine this principle. The supplemental plan would simply have to cover a larger share of the device.
Hearing devices in Class II are equipment priced freely by the audiologist. They may offer more options or features, but they do not benefit from the zero out-of-pocket guarantee applicable to the 100% Santé basket. Health Insurance currently uses the same 400-euro per ear reimbursement base, with 60% coverage, i.e., 240 euros. Starting in 2027, this portion paid directly by Health Insurance will also decrease. There are two things to keep in mind. In a responsible contract, the supplemental plan must notably cover the ticket modérateur. Part of the health insurance funding decrease is therefore intended to be shifted to the supplemental plan. However, the price of a Class II hearing aid can far exceed the 400-euro base. Everything that concerns reimbursement beyond this base depends on the guarantees provided by the contract. That is why the out-of-pocket could be significant for a Class II aid, even if the person has supplemental health insurance. The level of coverage offered by their mutual insurance should be checked before making a purchase.
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