Mutual insurance companies: overpayments reimbursed, is it really good news?

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For Aurélien Branderbourger, a 73-year-old retiree, it was a pleasant surprise. A few weeks ago, he received 44 euros from his health insurance. "It was like Santa Claus. Santa Claus, when you receive these sums that almost fall from the sky. When you have a small pension like mine, it's very important," the insured confides.

Like him, 1.2 million Harmonie Mutuelle policyholders received the same transfer . This move was made possible because, according to the group, the French have been consulting their doctors or opticians less than expected. "In 2024, the sum of individual benefits was lower than expected and, overall, the health system's consumption could be a little more responsible," explains Catherine Touvrey, CEO of Harmonie Mutuelle.

As a result, mutual insurance companies have a kind of surplus in reserve. Some return a portion of this surplus to their members: 44 euros for Harmonie Mutuelle policyholders, 40 euros for MGEN policyholders, and an average of 160 euros for Malakoff Humanis policyholders.

But is this just an outpouring of generosity from mutual insurance companies? This initiative comes as supplementary health insurance is in the government's sights, tempted to siphon off €1 billion from them in its 2026 budget. According to some experts, they would be well advised to reduce their reserves this year.

"We're sending a political signal to the government to tell them that we don't believe there was an overpayment, or if there was, we've passed it on to our customers. This means 'thank you for moving on, there's nothing to see on our side regarding a tax,'" analyzes health economist Frédéric Bizard. More than 95% of French people are covered by mutual insurance.