What the law says, what is still missing, and the official text behind every step since the vote of November 2025.
The law is in force. The amount is not set, because the decree it needs has not appeared. Read on .
In force since 31 December 2025. It is article L160-1-1 of the Social Security code, created by article 53 of loi n° 2025-1403 of 30 December 2025.
Source: Légifrance: article L160-1-1 (version in force on 28 October 2026).
None found. The article says a decree of the Conseil d'État sets the amount, the notification, the collection and the suspension. We searched the Journal officiel on Légifrance and found no decree that cites the article. Service-Public, on its page checked on 13 May 2026, says a decree is expected.
Source: Service-Public F34308: What is the protection universelle maladie (Puma)?.
Not set. The law gives no figure and no base.
A person who lives in France in a stable and regular way, has no professional activity in France, and is not liable for the contributions of articles L131-9 and L136-1 under an international convention. The article applies subject to international conventions and European regulations. It names no nationality and no visa.
Source: Légifrance: article L160-1-1.
The article lists no exempt group of its own. A person who works in France, or who is liable for those contributions, is outside the wording above. The decree may add detail.
Source: Légifrance: article L160-1-1.
No date in the text. The article came into force on publication, and the amount waits for the decree.
Source: Légifrance: article L160-1-1.
After a set period without payment, the head of the health insurance body notifies the person, after checking their situation, that the right to health coverage will be suspended unless the amount due is paid.
Source: Légifrance: article L160-1-1.
It is not a separate measure. The vote of 8 November 2025 that the press reported was amendment 1685, whose explanatory statement named American retirees. The final law does not contain the words "américain", "États-Unis" or "visiteur". We found no other text that taxes American retirees' pensions.
Source: Assemblée nationale: amendment 1685.
The text does not mention visas or nationalities. It applies to a person who lives in France in a stable and regular way, has no professional activity in France and is not liable for the contributions of articles L131-9 and L136-1 under an international convention. A visitor visa holder who is on Puma is in the first two groups. The third depends on income and on the convention that covers it, and neither the article nor Service-Public says which conventions that is.
The article gives no amount and leaves it to a decree. We found none, so there is no figure to plan with. If the amount is not paid after a set period, the health insurance body must warn the person before coverage can be suspended. A different charge, the subsidiary health contribution (CSM), is collected by URSSAF on capital income, and URSSAF's page describes only that one.
To see which of the two charges fits a situation, use the healthcare contribution checker. The guide to the Puma healthcare contribution explains both charges, and how to register with CPAM covers the Puma registration itself. For how the French route compares with five other European countries, see what each official page says about public health cover for a retiree.
Newest first. Each line names the official text and the day we read it. Quoted wording comes from those texts, which are in French.
Légifrance still shows the first version of article L160-1-1, and a search of the Journal officiel finds no decree citing it. The Service-Public page still shows the check of 13 May 2026 and the same wait for a decree. The URSSAF page for Puma beneficiaries describes only the subsidiary health contribution (CSM) and does not mention the new participation.
Text: URSSAF: Bénéficiaire de la protection universelle maladie (PUMa). We read it on .
Service-Public checks its page on the Puma on this date. It describes the financial participation and its three conditions, says a decree is expected on the amount, and says the information on the page stays valid until the decree is published.
Text: Service-Public F34308: What is the protection universelle maladie (Puma)?. We read it on .
The law is published in the Journal officiel of 31 December 2025. Légifrance shows article L160-1-1 in force from that day, and says the provisions of the law came into force immediately. The amount is left to a decree.
Text: Légifrance: loi n° 2025-1403 of 30 December 2025, article 53. We read it on .
Loi n° 2025-1403 is signed on 30 December 2025. The Conseil constitutionnel decision of the same day (2025-899 DC) strikes out a list of provisions. Article 53 is not on that list and the decision does not discuss it.
Text: Conseil constitutionnel: decision n° 2025-899 DC of 30 December 2025. We read it on .
In the final reading the provision is article 53, with the same wording as in the new reading.
Text: Assemblée nationale: text adopted in final reading n° 199. We read it on .
In the text the Assembly adopts in new reading, the provision appears as article 18 quinquies and has the wording that became law: new article L160-1-1, tied to the contributions of articles L131-9 and L136-1 and to an international convention, with suspension of coverage if unpaid and a decree of the Conseil d'État.
Text: Assemblée nationale: text adopted in new reading n° 188. We read it on .
In the text the Sénat adopts in first reading, article 12 sexies creates a new article L380-2-1 instead. It covers residents with no professional activity in France who are not taxable in France under an international convention, and it makes their coverage conditional on a "participation financière" set by decree of the Conseil d'État. The visa wording is gone.
Text: Sénat: text adopted n° 23 (2025-2026), 26 November 2025. We read it on .
In the text that results from the Assembly's first reading, article 12 sexies reads as the amendment: a "cotisation spécifique" for holders of the "visiteur" long-stay visa, and a decree that sets which groups can be exempt to respect international conventions.
Text: Assemblée nationale: text resulting from the first reading of the bill n° 1907. We read it on .
In the public sitting the amendment is adopted as amended by sub-amendment 2669, which was itself adopted 127 to 125. That sub-amendment lets the decree exempt some groups so that international conventions are respected. A sub-amendment setting a floor equal to five years of contributions at the minimum wage (2641) was rejected 88 to 150. The rapporteur général and the minister left the amendment to the wisdom of the Assembly, and the minister said some conventions exempt nationals of a few countries from tax and contributions and that the government planned to revise them.
Text: Assemblée nationale: compte rendu of the first sitting of Saturday 8 November 2025. We read it on .
François Gernigon and Nathalie Colin-Oesterlé (Horizons group) file amendment 1685 to the 2026 Social Security financing bill. It would add to article L160-1 a rule that non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals holding a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit with the mention "visiteur" must pay a "cotisation spécifique" set by decree, as a condition for opening and keeping their health coverage. Its explanatory statement names American retirees living in France without a professional activity.
Text: Assemblée nationale: amendment 1685 to the bill n° 1907. We read it on .
Last checked on . A decree can appear after that day, so look at the Journal officiel and at Service-Public F34308 too. How we check has the method, and What changed for Americans in France lists other rule changes.
