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What is the tiers payant?
Model-written, not yet read by a native reader.
Correct answer: Not paying in advance what the Assurance maladie refunds. The tiers payant lets you avoid paying in advance the money the Assurance maladie refunds. The health professional is paid directly. To benefit, you show the carte Vitale. Source: the Ministry of the Interior sheet “Santé : la prise en charge et le remboursement” (in French).
Sources: Sheet “Santé : la prise en charge et le remboursement” (French), read on 21 October 2026. Answer written by Hexaciv from this source. Hexaciv is an independent preparation tool. It is not an official website, is not linked to any government body and does not give legal advice. The authoritative source is the Ministry of the Interior's, cited on this page.
The four choices and why
- ✗ A second doctor who gives an opinion on the firstUn deuxième médecin qui donne un avisThe tiers payant is about payment, not a second medical opinion.
- ✗ A tax paid by doctors to the StateUn impôt payé par les médecinsIt is not a tax: the doctor is paid directly by the Assurance maladie.
- ✗ A payment card that you use to pay the doctorUne carte de paiement pour payer le médecinThe carte Vitale is not a payment card.
- ✓ Not paying in advance what the Assurance maladie refundsNe pas avancer l'argent que l'Assurance maladie rembourseCorrect answer. The tiers payant lets you avoid paying in advance the money the Assurance maladie refunds. The health professional is paid directly. To benefit, you show the carte Vitale.
What the source says
« le système de tiers-payant permet de ne pas avancer la somme d’argent que l’Assurance maladie rembourse. »
Sentence copied word for word from the source, in French, read on 21 October 2026.
How it reads on exam day
The exam is in French, so this is the question you will see: « Qu'est-ce que le tiers payant ? ». Learn the English idea above and the French words in the options.
This question comes from the list of the naturalisation version of the exam (PDF relayed by Le Français des affaires, read on 14 October 2026; the Ministry's own page for this list did not answer). The list's wording: “Qu'est-ce que le tiers payant ?”.
Where the Ministry explains it
Sheet “Santé : la prise en charge et le remboursement” (French).
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