When I retire, I already pay 1,200 euros in health insurance: here's how much it will cost me this year
It's one of the biggest expenses in retirees' budgets. It's one of those almost unavoidable, (almost) obligatory bills that have become much more expensive since leaving the workforce. In addition to energy, land or rent, home insurance, vehicle expenses, and even grocery shopping, seniors have to face another hefty bill: health insurance.
When you're working, the bill is less difficult to bear: deducted directly from your salary and partly paid by the company, it seems painless. But when you retire, you have to fully assume it. A burden for the elderly that increases with each passing year. And the coming months won't change that.
On average, the annual bill for retirees amounts to around €1,200. "Between 56 and 70, it's around €1,000. Between 70 and 85, it's around €1,250, and beyond that, it's over €1,300," explains Arthur Martiano, CEO of the online comparison site Le Lynx. Yet, every year, policyholders are surprised by the soaring cost, which far exceeds inflation.
In reality, the new amount depends on other factors. First, age, then the cost of care: x-rays, hospitalizations, various prostheses, etc. The cost of mutual insurance is therefore increasing faster than the cost of living.
While some have already renewed their contracts, those who will have to do so by the end of the year should expect to dig deeper into their pockets. "We're seeing increases of 5 to 8%," the expert notes, excluding age.
For example, if you have to renew your policy on July 1st , a mutual insurance company that cost you €1,200 when you signed up for the policy in 2024 will increase to at least €1,296 (+8%). A policy costing €1,300 will increase to at least €1,404. That's almost ten euros more per month. But moving into a more "at-risk" age group can also cause the amount to be paid to soar further.
For 2026, Arthur Martiano is counting on a similar increase: "the underlying trend of the increase is around 4/5% each year." Thus, a contract at 1200 euros could increase, at a minimum, to 1296 euros in 2025 and then to 1360 euros (+5%) in 2026. "Mutual insurance companies are obliged to be in balance. So if we ask them to pay more, they will have to balance their accounts," explains the head of Lynx.
Faced with this increasingly hefty bill, the comparison expert urges retirees to compare offers. Today, after one year of contract, it is possible to cancel at any time, without justification. And the new mutual insurance company takes care of the paperwork.
"You need to make sure you're covered for the right guarantees, try to estimate your risk (do you need to be covered for a hearing aid, for example?) and avoid 10-year-old 'dormant contracts'," lists Arthur Martiano. The rewards are worth it: "We're seeing price differences of up to €500 between some people's contracts and an offer that's better suited to their needs."
L'Internaute
