The prevention check-up, called Mon bilan prévention (France’s national prevention check-up program) by French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), costs nothing for the person who has it: it is fully covered (100%), with no upfront payment and no possible extra charges. It is a 30- to 45-minute conversation with a health professional, offered at four ages in life, which ends with a Personalized Prevention Plan. As doctors, we explain here who it is for, how it works and how to get the most out of it.
How much does a prevention check-up cost?
The cost of the prevention check-up for the person who has it is zero euros: French National Health Insurance covers it in full (100%), with no upfront payment, and the health professional is not allowed to charge anything extra. All you need to do is present your Carte Vitale (French health insurance card). This coverage applies whatever your health insurance scheme and whatever your supplementary health insurer (mutuelle).
What you don’t pay, French National Health Insurance pays directly to the professional: €30 in mainland France and €31.50 in the French overseas departments and regions, only once per person and per age bracket. The billing codes are “RDV” for doctors, “RDI” for nurses and “RDP” for pharmacists. These amounts matter to you only insofar as they show that the check-up is a procedure in its own right, separate from a standard consultation, and that it cannot be billed to you on top of another visit.
A useful clarification: the phrase “free prevention check-up” that you often see is a shortcut. We prefer to say “fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance,” because it is the community as a whole that funds this appointment — and that is precisely what makes it accessible to everyone, regardless of income.
What is the prevention check-up (Mon bilan prévention)?
The prevention check-up is “a time for discussion dedicated to preventive health,” according to French National Health Insurance’s definition. Santé.fr, the French government’s public health information portal, describes it as “a simple way to take stock of your health, your lifestyle habits, and the prevention actions suited to you.” So it is not a full medical examination, a blood test or a check-up in the usual sense: it is a structured conversation, based on a questionnaire you fill in yourself, that leads to one or two concrete goals chosen with you.
In our practice, we see that many patients come expecting a battery of tests. The prevention check-up does the opposite: it starts from you, your daily life, and what you want to change or check. Tests, if they are useful, come afterward, prescribed by your regular doctor (médecin traitant) in light of the plan you have drawn up.
The topics the program covers are broad: diet, physical activity and sedentary behavior, smoking, alcohol and other addictions, sleep, mental health and well-being, sexual health, menopause, aging, social isolation, cancer screening, vaccination and prevention of cardiovascular disease. Not all of them can be addressed in 45 minutes; together, you choose the ones that matter to you right now.
The program was piloted and then rolled out nationwide. Its framework is set by the ministerial order (arrêté) of May 28, 2024 (see the section on the official texts).
At what age is a prevention check-up recommended?
The prevention check-up is offered in four age brackets, inclusive: 18 to 25, 45 to 50, 60 to 65 and 70 to 75. Only one check-up is possible per person and per bracket, so you can benefit from it up to four times in your life. If you are 26 or 44, you are not eligible for this specific program, but other options exist, including the preventive health examination described below.
Why these ages? Because they correspond to transitions when habits take hold or come undone: entering adult life; midlife, when cardiovascular and metabolic risks quietly set in; retirement; and then the age when preserving independence becomes the main concern. We have covered each bracket in a dedicated page:
- The prevention check-up at ages 18-25: mental health, addictions, sexual health, vaccines, sleep, choosing a first regular doctor.
- The prevention check-up at ages 45-50: cardiovascular risk, type 2 diabetes, organized cancer screening programs, menopause.
- The prevention check-up at ages 60-65: continued screening, vaccinations, hearing, vision, preparing for retirement.
- The prevention check-up at ages 70-75: fall prevention, nutrition, memory, medication review, social isolation.
The check-up is never mandatory. It is an offer that you are free to accept, to postpone within your age bracket, or to decline.
Who can carry out the prevention check-up?
Four professions are authorized by the order of May 28, 2024 to carry out the prevention check-up: doctors (including your regular doctor), midwives, nurses and pharmacists. As of September 2026, Santé.fr also lists physiotherapists among the authorized professionals; the Centre-Val de Loire regional health agency (ARS) announces that they will join the program “from October 2026.”
You are free to choose the professional. Here is how they differ in practice:
| Professional | Billing code | Specifics |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor (general practitioner or other specialty) | RDV | Can follow up with prescriptions; if it is your regular doctor, they already have your medical record |
| Nurse | RDI | Can carry out the check-up at your home, in which case travel costs can be billed to French National Health Insurance |
| Pharmacist | RDP | Must have a private consultation area in the pharmacy; available without a prior appointment in many pharmacies |
| Midwife | RDV | A natural point of contact for sexual health, contraception and menopause |
| Physiotherapist | Code set by the order of July 28, 2026, applicable from October 1, 2026 | Listed by sante.fr; relevant for physical activity and fall prevention |
No additional training is mandatory to carry out these check-ups. Voluntary modules are offered by the École des hautes études en santé publique, the French school of public health (motivational interviewing, brief interventions). Professionals who wish to appear in the directory register on sante.fr with their CPS card (French health professional smart card). If you are a doctor and would like to integrate this check-up into your practice, our page for doctors describes how we can help.
Whichever professional you see, the outcome of the check-up — the Personalized Prevention Plan and the risk-identification support form — must be sent to your regular doctor, unless you object. This is what ensures continuity: the pharmacist or nurse who saw you is not working alongside your care pathway, but as part of it.
How does a prevention check-up work?
A prevention check-up lasts 30 to 45 minutes and follows three steps defined by French National Health Insurance: identifying your individual risks based on the self-assessment questionnaire, jointly prioritizing one or two topics, and then writing up the Personalized Prevention Plan. There is no in-depth physical examination, no blood draw and no special preparation: you do not need to fast.
Step 1: identifying risks
The professional relies on the self-assessment questionnaire you have filled in, ideally before the appointment. They add a few questions and, depending on the case, use a risk-identification support form provided by French National Health Insurance. The goal is not to judge you but to build an honest picture: how you sleep, what you eat, whether you smoke, how much you move, how you feel, and where you stand with your screenings and vaccines.
Step 2: jointly setting priorities
This is the heart of the check-up, and the part that surprises people most. Out of everything that could be improved, you choose one or two topics together — not ten. In medicine, we know that a realistic goal chosen by the patient is far more likely to be kept than an imposed list. The professional helps you put into words what holds you back and what motivates you.
Step 3: the Personalized Prevention Plan
The appointment ends with writing up the Personalized Prevention Plan (PPP), a short document that sets out your priorities, the actions decided on and the resources you can turn to. You leave with a copy; your regular doctor receives one, unless you object. We describe its content in detail in our page on the Personalized Prevention Plan.
Where can I find the Mon bilan prévention questionnaire?
The Mon bilan prévention self-assessment questionnaire can be completed online in Mon espace santé (France’s personal digital health record), at monespacesante.fr, or downloaded as a PDF from ameli.fr, French National Health Insurance’s website, where there is a version for each age bracket. Filling it in before the appointment frees up time for discussion; if you haven’t done so, the professional goes through it with you at the start of the check-up.
Do you have to activate Mon espace santé to have the check-up? No. Mon espace santé is the digital health record offered by French National Health Insurance; it is convenient for filling in the questionnaire and finding your plan afterward, but the paper or PDF version works just as well. If you have activated your space, the professional can upload the Personalized Prevention Plan to it, which makes it easier to share with your regular doctor.
The questionnaire is tailored to each age: the one for ages 18-25 focuses on psychological well-being, substance use and sexual health; the one for ages 45-50 on cardiovascular risk factors and screening; those for ages 60-65 and 70-75 on vaccinations, the senses, balance and social connection. We have reviewed it question by question in our page on the prevention check-up questionnaire.
What is the Personalized Prevention Plan (PPP)?
The Personalized Prevention Plan (PPP) is the document handed to you at the end of the check-up: it records the one or two goals you have chosen, the concrete means of reaching them, and the resources or professionals who can support you. French National Health Insurance provides professionals with a downloadable PPP template specific to each age bracket, along with topic sheets to back up their advice.
This plan has two strengths. The first is that it makes the commitment concrete: “walk thirty minutes three times a week on the way to work” is easier to stick to than “move more.” The second is that it creates a link: your regular doctor receives a copy and can, at a later consultation, discuss it with you again, prescribe the resulting screenings or tests, or refer you to a colleague. Santé.fr also offers a map of prevention resources (associations, adapted physical activity programs, specialized consultations) to help you move from paper to action.
The PPP has no period of validity in the regulatory sense: it is a starting point, not a contract. It commits you to nothing other than what you yourself have decided.
What does the prevention check-up cover at each age?
The content of the prevention check-up changes with age, because prevention priorities are not the same at 20 and at 72. The table below summarizes the topics most often in the foreground in each bracket, as we encounter them in practice and as the official self-assessment questionnaires address them.
| Age bracket | Topics generally in the foreground | Screenings and vaccinations often discussed |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 18-25 | Mental health and well-being, addictions (tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, screens), sexual health and contraception, sleep, diet and physical activity, choosing a regular doctor | Catch-up vaccinations including HPV, screening for sexually transmitted infections depending on the situation |
| Ages 45-50 | Cardiovascular risk, type 2 diabetes, tobacco and alcohol, physical activity, perimenopause and menopause, mental health and work-related stress | Cervical cancer screening (ages 25-65); at 50, entry into the organized colorectal and breast cancer screening programs |
| Ages 60-65 | Continued screening, cardiovascular risk, osteoporosis, hearing and vision, physical activity, preparing for retirement and social isolation | Colorectal and breast cancer up to age 74; diphtheria-tetanus-polio (dTP) booster; flu from age 65; shingles and pneumococcus according to the current vaccination schedule |
| Ages 70-75 | Fall prevention, undernutrition, cognitive function, hearing and vision, medication review (adverse drug effects), social isolation, staying physically active, the situation of caregivers | Vaccinations (flu, Covid-19, shingles, pneumococcus according to the schedule), continued organized screening up to age 74 |
Three reference points on organized screening programs, as French National Health Insurance and the French National Cancer Institute (Institut national du cancer) describe them in 2026: colorectal cancer screening concerns people aged 50 to 74, with an immunochemical test done at home every 2 years; breast cancer screening invites women aged 50 to 74 to have a mammogram every 2 years; cervical cancer screening is for women aged 25 to 65, with two cytology tests one year apart and then a third three years later between ages 25 and 29, followed by an HPV test every 5 years from age 30 to 65. The prevention check-up is the right time to check where you stand.
What is the difference between a prevention check-up, a free health check and a private check-up?
The prevention check-up is a 30- to 45-minute consultation with a local professional; French Social Security’s “free health check,” now called the preventive health examination (examen de prévention en santé), is an examination of about 2 hours at a dedicated center, with lab tests; a private check-up is a paid service, not reimbursed, whose content and price vary widely. The first two are fully covered (100%) and can both be done.
| Mon bilan prévention | Preventive health examination (formerly the free health check) | Private check-up | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Ages 18-25, 45-50, 60-65 and 70-75 inclusive | Insured people aged 16 and over and their dependents, with priority for people who have little contact with the health system | Any adult who requests it |
| Where | Doctor’s office, pharmacy, nurse’s office or at home | French National Health Insurance health examination center (about a hundred in mainland France and Guadeloupe) | Private clinic, center or laboratory, mostly in large cities |
| Duration | 30 to 45 minutes | About 2 hours, fasting | From an hour and a half to half a day depending on the package |
| Content | Self-assessment questionnaire, consultation, Personalized Prevention Plan | Medical questionnaire, blood draw, urine test, hearing and cardiorespiratory tests depending on your profile, medical consultation | Lab tests, sometimes imaging and specialist consultations; number of markers as advertised by the offer |
| Cost to you | €0: fully covered (100%), with no upfront payment | €0: fully covered (100%), with no upfront payment | From a few hundred to several thousand euros, not reimbursed (prices checked on September 14, 2026: entry-level packages from €365 to €990, up to €18,000 for the most comprehensive) |
| Frequency | Once per age bracket | Renewable | Unrestricted |
| Main strength | Local access, full coverage, a concrete action plan sent to your regular doctor | Lab and clinical examinations included, access to rights for people who have little contact with care | Breadth of testing, speed, comfort; relevant for those who want to go beyond recommended screening |
These three approaches are not mutually exclusive. The prevention check-up sets the priorities; the preventive health examination provides covered lab tests; a private check-up can complement them for those who want it and can afford it. We describe the preventive health examination in detail in our page on French National Health Insurance’s free health check, and we answer the most common questions about these differences in our FAQ.
How do I book an appointment for Mon bilan prévention?
To book an appointment, contact the professional of your choice directly — your regular doctor, your pharmacist, a nurse or a midwife — and specify that you would like to have “Mon bilan prévention.” Santé.fr offers a directory of professionals registered with the program, and online booking platforms often display a dedicated appointment reason when the professional uses them.
In practice, in 2026:
- Check your eligibility: you must be between 18 and 25, 45 and 50, 60 and 65, or 70 and 75, inclusive, and not have already had the check-up for that bracket.
- Choose the professional according to your situation: your regular doctor if you have one and want to follow up with prescriptions; the pharmacy for ease of access; a nurse for a check-up at home; a midwife for questions about sexual health and menopause.
- Fill in the self-assessment questionnaire in Mon espace santé or as a PDF, and write down the questions you want to ask.
- On the day, bring your Carte Vitale and, if you have them, your vaccination record and your latest screening results.
We have gathered the special cases — no regular doctor, recent move, check-up at home, accompanied person — in our page where and how to book the prevention check-up. And if you would like to understand how Sokrate fits into this pathway, our page how it works describes it step by step.
What are the official texts governing the prevention check-up?
The founding text is the order of May 28, 2024 “relating to the professionals who carry out prevention appointments, their content and their pricing arrangements,” published in the Journal officiel (France’s official gazette) on May 29, 2024 (JORFTEXT000049607673). Its Article 2 sets the four age brackets; it designates the authorized professions (doctors, midwives, nurses, pharmacists) and sets the fee at €30 in mainland France and €31.50 in the overseas territories.
Alongside this text, the official resources to know are:
- Ameli.fr, the “Mon bilan prévention” section for insured people, and the professional pages (doctors, nurses, pharmacists) that detail billing, tools and transmission to the regular doctor.
- Santé.fr, the Ministry of Health’s portal, which hosts the general-public presentation, the directory of professionals and the map of prevention resources.
- Mon espace santé (monespacesante.fr) for the online self-assessment questionnaire and uploading the personalized plan.
- The French vaccination schedule and the recommendations of the French National Authority for Health (HAS) on screening, to which the check-up refers without replacing them.
We update this page with every regulatory change, in particular if the authorization of physiotherapists is confirmed by an amending text.
Key takeaways
- The prevention check-up is fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance, with no upfront payment and no extra charges.
- It is offered once per age bracket: 18-25, 45-50, 60-65 and 70-75 inclusive.
- It is a 30- to 45-minute, three-step consultation, not a battery of tests: self-assessment questionnaire, choice of one or two topics, Personalized Prevention Plan.
- Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and midwives can carry it out; the plan is sent to your regular doctor unless you object.
- It can be combined with the preventive health examination (formerly the free health check) and does not replace organized screening programs.
What Sokrate lets you do
Sokrate offers to help you prepare your prevention check-up online: an adaptive questionnaire covering nine health dimensions, a personalized plan written and signed by a doctor and sent to your regular doctor unless you object, and follow-up provided by a coordinating nurse. The check-up remains fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance when carried out by an authorized professional. To be notified when the service opens in your region, join the waitlist.