The prevention check-up is carried out by a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or midwife, in an office, pharmacy, health center or at home. To find a professional who offers it: the sante.fr directory, Doctolib or your pharmacy. The appointment lasts 30 to 45 minutes and is fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance (Assurance Maladie), with no upfront payment.
Who can carry out the prevention check-up?
The prevention check-up (Mon bilan prévention, France’s national prevention check-up program) can be carried out by four health professions: doctors, nurses, pharmacists and midwives. It therefore takes place wherever these professionals work: doctor’s or nurse’s office, pharmacy, midwife’s office, health center or multi-professional health center, and at home with a nurse. Physiotherapists are announced “from October 2026” by the regional health agency (ARS) Centre-Val de Loire.
Not all of them offer the check-up: participation is voluntary, and the professionals who carry it out register via sante.fr with their professional card to appear in the directory. Hence the importance of knowing where to look.
| Professional | Where | Practical strengths |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor (your regular doctor or another) | Office, health center or multi-professional health center | Knows your record if they are your regular doctor; can immediately prescribe the tests or vaccines decided on |
| Nurse | Office or at home | Carries out the check-up at your home, with travel costs covered; time to listen; useful for people with limited mobility |
| Pharmacist | Pharmacy, in a mandatory private consultation area | Nearby and with extended hours; knows your medications; medication review |
| Midwife | Office, health center | A natural point of contact for sexual health, contraception, menopause, gynecological screening |
The content of the check-up is the same whichever professional you see: self-assessment questionnaire, choice of one or two priority topics, and writing the Personalized Prevention Plan, sent to your regular doctor (médecin traitant) unless you object. The framework is described in the prevention check-up explained; the respective roles are covered on the doctor, nurse and pharmacist pages.
How do I book an appointment for Mon bilan prévention?
To book a prevention check-up, first check that you fall within one of the four age groups (18-25, 45-50, 60-65 or 70-75 inclusive), then contact a professional who offers it directly. No prescription, invitation or request to your health insurance office is needed. There are four ways to go about it.
The sante.fr directory
The sante.fr website, the French public health information service, hosts the map of professionals who carry out “Mon bilan prévention” and of prevention resources near you. Its page “1. Je prends rendez-vous” (“1. I book an appointment”) explains the process and lets you search by location. It is the most comprehensive source, because that is where professionals register.
Doctolib and booking platforms
On Doctolib and other platforms, some professionals list a dedicated appointment type, such as “Mon bilan prévention” or “bilan de prévention 45-50 ans.” Look for it in the professional’s list of appointment types; if it is not there, book a standard appointment and state the purpose in the comments, or call.
Your pharmacy
Asking your pharmacy is often the quickest option: many pharmacies carry out the check-up in a private consultation area; ask at the counter whether a slot is available, on the spot or by appointment. If yours does not offer it, the pharmacist can usually point you to a colleague or a nurse in the area who does.
Your regular doctor
If your regular doctor carries out the check-up, that is the simplest option: they know your record and can follow up with prescriptions. Mention “bilan de prévention” when booking: the consultation lasts 30 to 45 minutes, longer than an ordinary appointment. If they do not offer it, they remain the recipient of the plan written elsewhere.
In every case, give your age group and ask whether you should fill in the self-assessment questionnaire beforehand; we explain where to find it in the prevention check-up questionnaire.
What should I bring to the appointment?
For the prevention check-up, bring your Carte Vitale (French health insurance card), the completed self-assessment questionnaire, your current prescriptions, your vaccination record and your most recent test results. The appointment requires nothing else: no fasting, no special clothing, no mandatory companion.
Our list, in order of usefulness:
- Your Carte Vitale (or the Carte Vitale app), for full coverage (100%) with no upfront payment.
- The self-assessment questionnaire for your age group, filled in a few days ahead, online in Mon espace santé (France’s personal digital health record) or as a PDF.
- All your prescriptions, including over-the-counter products and supplements: the medication review is part of the check-up, especially after 60.
- Your vaccination record or access to the vaccination section of Mon espace santé.
- Your most recent results: lab tests, mammogram, colorectal screening test, Pap smear, hearing test, eye exam, with the dates.
- A question or a concern, written down in advance: it often becomes the priority of the plan.
How much does a prevention check-up cost?
The prevention check-up is fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance, with no upfront payment and no extra fees allowed: you pay nothing, and no supplementary health insurance (mutuelle) is required. The professional is paid directly by French National Health Insurance, €30 in mainland France and €31.50 in the overseas departments and regions, a fee set by the decree of May 28, 2024.
Three useful details:
- One check-up per person per age group. You can, however, have one in each age group: 18-25, 45-50, 60-65 and 70-75.
- At home with a nurse, travel costs can also be billed to French National Health Insurance.
- Tests decided on afterward (lab tests, vaccines, mammogram, etc.) follow their own coverage rules; the professional will explain.
We prefer “fully covered (100%)” to “free”: the check-up has a cost, borne by society, and is worth using.
Signing up for the CPAM health check: how is it different from the preventive health examination?
Many people look to “sign up for the free CPAM health check” (the CPAM being the local office of French National Health Insurance): this usually means the preventive health examination (examen de prévention en santé, EPS), a different program from Mon bilan prévention. Both are fully covered (100%) and can be combined, but you do not request them in the same place.
| Mon bilan prévention | Preventive health examination (EPS) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | With a local professional (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, midwife) | At a French National Health Insurance health examination center (about a hundred in total, in mainland France and Guadeloupe) |
| For whom | Four age groups: 18-25, 45-50, 60-65, 70-75 inclusive | Insured people aged 16 and over and their dependents, with priority for people with limited access to the health system |
| Content | Consultation: lifestyle, screenings, vaccines, personalized plan | Medical questionnaire and, depending on the profile, blood and urine tests, hearing test, cardiorespiratory test, medical consultation, information on your rights |
| Duration | 30 to 45 minutes | About 2 hours, fasting |
| How to sign up | Directly with the professional, without going through the health insurance office | By contacting the nearest health examination center, your health insurance office (CPAM, MSA, etc.) or by replying to an invitation |
| Frequency | Once per age group | Renewable, usually every five years |
| Cost | Fully covered (100%), with no upfront payment | Fully covered (100%), with no upfront payment |
Some health examination centers also offer online booking. We describe the EPS, what it includes and why it is worthwhile in free health check: the preventive health examination.
Practical questions before booking
Can I have the prevention check-up without a regular doctor?
Yes. The check-up can be carried out by any doctor, nurse, pharmacist or midwife taking part in the program; having a regular doctor is not a requirement. It is even one of the topics of the check-up at 18-25, and a good opportunity to register one.
Can it be done at home?
Yes, with a nurse: the program allows travel costs to be billed to French National Health Insurance. This is the preferred option for someone with limited mobility or who no longer likes going out.
Do I need to fast?
No. The prevention check-up is a consultation, without a blood draw. Fasting applies to the preventive health examination at a health examination center, or to lab tests your doctor might prescribe afterward.
Can someone come with me?
Yes, if you wish: a spouse, a child, a caregiver. The consultation remains yours; the professional will make sure the priorities in the plan are your own.
What if I have just passed the age range?
The check-up is open up to and including the upper age limit (25, 50, 65 or 75). Beyond that, you have to wait for the next age group, but nothing prevents you from discussing prevention with your regular doctor during an ordinary consultation.
What happens afterward?
You leave with your Personalized Prevention Plan, sent to your regular doctor unless you object. The follow-up set out in the plan (call, consultation) is the real continuation of the appointment.
Key takeaways
- The prevention check-up is carried out by a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or midwife, in an office, pharmacy, health center or at home.
- To find a professional: the sante.fr directory, Doctolib, your pharmacy or your regular doctor.
- Bring your Carte Vitale, the completed self-assessment questionnaire, prescriptions, vaccination record and most recent results.
- Fully covered (100%) by French National Health Insurance, with no upfront payment or extra fees; once per age group.
- “Signing up for the CPAM health check” usually refers to the preventive health examination at a health examination center: a separate program that can be combined with it.
What Sokrate lets you do
The Sokrate service offers an online preparation questionnaire so you arrive at the prevention check-up with your priorities already identified, whichever professional you choose. The personalized plan is signed by a doctor, a letter is sent to your regular doctor unless you object, and a coordinating nurse handles follow-up. You can prepare your prevention check-up even before booking an appointment.