Registering with a French Doctor (Médecin Traitant)

In France, every adult with health cover is strongly encouraged to register with a single GP called their médecin traitant (literally, "treating doctor"). This is not just administrative tidiness — it directly affects how much of your medical costs are reimbursed by the French health system (Assurance Maladie).

Why it matters

If you consult a GP who is not your declared médecin traitant, your reimbursement rate drops significantly. The standard consultation fee is currently €26.50 for a GP, of which Assurance Maladie reimburses 70%. Your mutuelle (top-up health insurance) usually covers most of the rest. But if you go outside the system — consulting a different doctor without a referral — the reimbursement can fall as low as 30%.

How to register

1. Find a doctor taking new patients. In rural Poitou, this can be the hardest step — there is a real shortage of GPs in some déserts médicaux (medical deserts). The Ameli website has a search tool (Trouver un médecin) that shows which practices are accepting new patients.

2. Make an appointment. You do not need to declare them as your médecin traitant before your first visit — you can simply attend a normal appointment.

3. Sign the declaration form. At your first appointment, ask the doctor to complete the déclaration de médecin traitant form with you. You both sign it. The doctor's surgery sends it to Assurance Maladie, or you can submit it yourself via your Ameli online account.

4. Check it has been registered. Log in to ameli.fr a week or two later to confirm your médecin traitant is showing on your account.

If you cannot find a doctor

This is a genuine challenge in parts of Poitou. Some options:

• Maisons de santé — multi-practitioner health centres are expanding in the region and often accept new patients even when individual practices do not.
• CPTS (Communautés Professionnelles Territoriales de Santé) — local health networks that can help connect you with a GP. Your mairie should know if one operates in your area.
• Médecins correspondants — if there is absolutely no GP available, you can use a specialist as a referring doctor in some circumstances. Ask Ameli.
• Teleconsultation — platforms like Doctolib offer video consultations with GPs anywhere in France, which can be used for non-urgent matters while you search for a local doctor.

Bringing your medical records

There is no automatic transfer of medical records between countries. It is worth bringing a summary from your previous doctor covering chronic conditions, current medications, vaccination history, and any significant medical history. Your French doctor will appreciate having this context, and it helps ensure continuity of care.