Court of Audit Recommends Direct Bank Account Seizures for Unpaid Medical Copayments

Paris – 28.05.2026: In light of the ongoing deficit of the French social security system, the Court of Audit, the country's highest financial control authority, has proposed a drastic measure: the direct seizure of bank accounts of insured individuals who do not settle their medical copayments. This measure is already enshrined in law but has never been applied.Medical copayments, also called "franchises médicales," are patients' contributions to the costs of medical services. Although they represent a relatively small share of the total healthcare system expenditures, the outstanding amounts add up ...