Healthcare system

Grounded in the values of solidarity, universal accessibility and equal treatment, the system is characterised notably by:  

• universal coverage of the population, through compulsory membership of health insurance and long-term care insurance schemes,
• a compulsory State service contract for healthcare providers authorised to carry out a health-related profession or activity, and the obligation for providers to abide by the tariffs agreed upon with the National Health Fund (Caisse nationale de santé - CNS),
• a predominantly liberal practice of medicine, with the physician initiating all treatments that can be claimed through the health insurance scheme,
• the freedom for patients to choose their own physicians, and direct access to specialist practitioners,
• the organisation of the hospital and pharmaceutical sector,
• equal treatment of care providers (natural or legal persons), regardless of their status.

In order to provide all citizens with a clear view of the different types of care and the possibilities for undergoing medical treatment, the Ministry of Health, in close collaboration with the National Health Fund, has produced an information kit (brochure and leaflet) in 4 languages (English, French, German and Portuguese).