The French government has, by decree, shortened the maximum compensation period under national health insurance (Assurance Maladie) for certain long-term, non-exempting chronic conditions (“ALD non-exonérantes”) from three years to one year. This is Decree No. 2026-866 of September 16, 2026, published in the Journal officiel on September 18, 2026.
Mainly affects mild depression and musculoskeletal disorders
The change primarily affects two groups of conditions: mild depression, accounting for 33% of cases, and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), accounting for 32% of cases. Chronic conditions that do qualify as “exempting,” such as cancer and diabetes, retain their three-year compensation period and remain 100% covered for related care. The new rules apply progressively, to sick leave prescriptions issued from October 15, 2026 onward; benefits already in payment are not automatically converted to the new regime. The decree simultaneously introduces a penalty for individuals who seek unjustified sick leave prescriptions unrelated to their medical condition; that provision takes effect immediately. The measure is part of a broader French strategy to curb the sharply rising cost of sick leave.
For EHS and HR professionals worldwide, the French approach is relevant as an example of how governments try to manage long-term psychological and musculoskeletal absence through financial incentives, while simultaneously — as the French decree announces — preparing new care and reintegration pathways for these groups. The precise content of those announced new pathways had not yet been published in detail at the time of writing.
Additional research: tpeactu.fr.
Source: Arrêts longs : le gouvernement réduit l’indemnisation et prépare de nouveaux parcours pour les TMS et troubles psychiques, September 21, 2026
