If a doctor belongs to a sector, you can find out whether or not he or she is covered by a convention, and what your reimbursement level will be.


- Sector 1 physicians:


A sector 1 doctor is one covered by the Social Security system. They charge a fixed fee with no excess.


Their fees correspond to the rates used as a basis for reimbursement by the health insurance fund (tarifs de convention).


Your mutual insurance company can supplement the Social Security reimbursement.


Your out-of-pocket expenses are virtually non-existent.


- Sector 2 doctors:


These are doctors under agreement, but with "free fees". They are free to set their own prices, and are therefore inclined to charge higher fees.


Social security reimburses consultations with sector 2 doctors on the basis of the basic tariff. Your mutual insurance company may supplement the social security reimbursement. You may still have to pay a certain amount.


- Unregulated sector 3 doctors:


These are doctors who have signed no agreement with the social security system. They are free to set their own fees. For example, if a doctor who has not signed an agreement charges you 30 euros for a consultation. In this case, the Sécu will only reimburse 3 euros (after deducting the 1 euro fixed contribution)


The remaining out-of-pocket expenses are all the more significant as sector 3 practitioners often charge higher fees.


Your out-of-pocket expenses can be very high.