If your health insurance contributions have increased in 2026, don’t panic: you can refuse this price increase without risking termination of your contract.
In our vocabulary, inflation has become one of the worst “bad words” in recent years. Consumer prices continue to rise, and of course, every business is following suit. And if the Social Security system allows us to benefit from greatly reduced health costs compared to other countries, many French people subscribe at the same time to complementary insurance to supplement the partial reimbursements offered by the Carte Vitale. And insurance companies do not hesitate to increase their prices as soon as possible, to the great dismay of consumers. However, in 2026, contributions should remain the same as in 2025, without any increase based on inflation. But as UFC-Que Choisir points out, this measure is far from pleasing health insurance companies, who are reluctant to apply it.
Indeed, for identical benefits, the Social Security financing law imposes a freeze on contributions. This means that companies are under no circumstances allowed to increase their prices compared to those charged last year. But many policyholders reported non-compliance with the regulations: upon receiving their payment schedule for 2026, they noticed that contributions had increased. If your supplement justifies a price increase “voted by the general assembly before the passage of the law” or some other reason, she is at fault. And you can therefore assert your rights.
The best way to contest this increase is to write directly to the insurer. UFC-Que Choisir has just unveiled a model letter – written by lawyers – to be sent by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt, to the service indicated on your deadline. Remember to indicate your membership number, as well as your contract number in the header of the letter, then specify the date of receipt of your expiry notice and the period it covers in the first paragraph. Do not hesitate to add it as an attachment to your mail.
It is then a matter of highlighting an increase in the amount of your contributions, and of reminding that this is “contrary to the legal system which imposes the freezing of health contributions for 2026″citing article 13 of the Social Security financing law passed last December. This article in fact prohibits any increase in contributions, in order to avoid the repercussions of the exceptional tax of 2.05% applied to complementary health insurance. After having recalled all these elements, UFC-Que Choisir recommends inviting your insurer to “proceed with the regularization of (your) contract, within two weeks, by applying the same amount of contributions as in 2025 and by proceeding, if necessary, to the reimbursement of the overpayment already received.
If the UFC-Que Choisir has decided to make this letter available to the public, it is above all to “send a clear and massive message to insurers” and help consumers assert their rights. Furthermore, rest assured, your insurance will not be able to terminate your contract on the sole basis of this dispute. On the other hand, it will be entitled to do so if you stop paying your contributions.
