How to get free glasses in France
The French government’s '100% Santé' scheme means quality eyecare can be free when you need it.
Even though eyecare is generally not cheap in France, there are free and reduced-price options available.
Before 2020, more than one in 10 French people gave up buying prescription glasses for financial reasons, with the lowest earners the most likely to be affected.
However, in 2020 the '100% Santé' reforms came into force, and they help cover the cost of a range of healthcare items, from prescription glasses to dentures and hearing aids.
After the scheme came into effect, lenses for a range of conditions and a small selection of frames up to €100 became fully covered via social security and mutuelle (complementary or top-off health cover) firms.
READ ALSO Health insurance in France: What you need to know about a mutuelle
This means that people who are registered with French social security and hold a top-off insurance scheme are able to get a pair of glasses at zero cost at the point of need.
Before the reforms, the average price for a pair of glasses with single-vision lenses was €290, including €135 for the frames. Social security cover and the commonly held mutuelle complementary health cover in France paid for 78 percent of that cost, or €225, leaving people at least €65 out of pocket.
How to benefit from the scheme
Patients must have a prescription, usually from their doctor or opthamologist. Be aware, however, that it can take some time to get an an appointment for a full eye test.
You can book appointments online, either with the service Doctolib, or using the health ministry approved site 'LeMedecin.Fr'.
Appointments can also be made by phone, and to find the registered doctors in your area you can consult the Ameli website.
Once you have a prescription, it lasts for three years for anyone aged 42 and over, five years for adults under the age of 42, and one year for children under 16.
Meanwhile, to cut waiting times, those aged between 16 and 42 can get a first prescription following an examination from an orthoptiste or an optométriste.
Which glasses count under '100% Santé'?
When looking at new glasses, you should seek out the bundles offered within the '100% Santé' plan.
Opticians are required, under the standards imposed by the new rules, to display lower cost frames (montures). They may be under the title 'Classe A'. Keep in mind that to ensure no out-of-pocket expenses for frames, they must cost €30 or less.
Similarly, be sure to seek out 'Classe A' lenses (verres), as 'Classe B' lenses freely priced (prix libre). Rest assured that the quality of the lens should be the same.
But if you want more expensive frames or varifocal lenses, these pricier options can still be partially covered by French health insurance.
READ ALSO How to get a carte vitale in France and why you need one
Additionally, most mutuelle insurance schemes allow a pair of new glasses, or replacement lenses, every two years – useful, as lenses made of plastic can scratch easily.
What about contact lenses?
According to the Sécurité Sociale website, contact lenses are reimbursed at a rate of 60 percent based on their fixed annual price of €39.48 (as of 2023) per eye fitted.
This is the standard regardless of the type, ie. if they are reusable or not.
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Even though eyecare is generally not cheap in France, there are free and reduced-price options available.
Before 2020, more than one in 10 French people gave up buying prescription glasses for financial reasons, with the lowest earners the most likely to be affected.
However, in 2020 the '100% Santé' reforms came into force, and they help cover the cost of a range of healthcare items, from prescription glasses to dentures and hearing aids.
After the scheme came into effect, lenses for a range of conditions and a small selection of frames up to €100 became fully covered via social security and mutuelle (complementary or top-off health cover) firms.
READ ALSO Health insurance in France: What you need to know about a mutuelle
This means that people who are registered with French social security and hold a top-off insurance scheme are able to get a pair of glasses at zero cost at the point of need.
Before the reforms, the average price for a pair of glasses with single-vision lenses was €290, including €135 for the frames. Social security cover and the commonly held mutuelle complementary health cover in France paid for 78 percent of that cost, or €225, leaving people at least €65 out of pocket.
How to benefit from the scheme
Patients must have a prescription, usually from their doctor or opthamologist. Be aware, however, that it can take some time to get an an appointment for a full eye test.
You can book appointments online, either with the service Doctolib, or using the health ministry approved site 'LeMedecin.Fr'.
Appointments can also be made by phone, and to find the registered doctors in your area you can consult the Ameli website.
Once you have a prescription, it lasts for three years for anyone aged 42 and over, five years for adults under the age of 42, and one year for children under 16.
Meanwhile, to cut waiting times, those aged between 16 and 42 can get a first prescription following an examination from an orthoptiste or an optométriste.
Which glasses count under '100% Santé'?
When looking at new glasses, you should seek out the bundles offered within the '100% Santé' plan.
Opticians are required, under the standards imposed by the new rules, to display lower cost frames (montures). They may be under the title 'Classe A'. Keep in mind that to ensure no out-of-pocket expenses for frames, they must cost €30 or less.
Similarly, be sure to seek out 'Classe A' lenses (verres), as 'Classe B' lenses freely priced (prix libre). Rest assured that the quality of the lens should be the same.
But if you want more expensive frames or varifocal lenses, these pricier options can still be partially covered by French health insurance.
READ ALSO How to get a carte vitale in France and why you need one
Additionally, most mutuelle insurance schemes allow a pair of new glasses, or replacement lenses, every two years – useful, as lenses made of plastic can scratch easily.
What about contact lenses?
According to the Sécurité Sociale website, contact lenses are reimbursed at a rate of 60 percent based on their fixed annual price of €39.48 (as of 2023) per eye fitted.
This is the standard regardless of the type, ie. if they are reusable or not.
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