Since 15 June 2026, French reimbursement of Wegovy® and Mounjaro® rests first on two BMI thresholds: 40, or 35 when a weight-related comorbidity is present. One BMI point or one diagnosis can make all the difference. Here is how to calculate your BMI exactly the way the rules apply it, which comorbidities are named, and the little-known detail that protects patients already on treatment.
First: calculate your BMI correctly
BMI (body mass index) is your weight divided by your height squared:
BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height² (m²)
Example: 105 kg at 1.70 m → 105 ÷ (1.70 × 1.70) = 36.3. The World Health Organization thresholds: overweight from 25, obesity from 30, severe obesity from 35, class III obesity (often called morbid obesity) from 40. BMI is a population-level indicator, imperfect for any one individual (it can’t tell muscle from fat) — but it is what the French reimbursement rules use.
The two doors into reimbursement
The ministerial orders of 10 June 2026 open coverage to adults, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, in two situations:
- Initial BMI ≥ 40, after a properly conducted nutritional programme has failed — no comorbidity required;
- Initial BMI ≥ 35 with at least one weight-related comorbidity.
Both routes share the condition people most often discover too late: at least 6 months of documented nutritional care with weight loss remaining under 5%. The key steps (accredited prescribers, the mandatory form, the follow-up review) are summarised in our guide Wegovy and Mounjaro in France: how coverage works.
Which comorbidities count?
The list in the orders is a closed one: fourteen weight-related situations, and only those, open the BMI 35–40 route — most of them subject to the relevant specialist’s opinion:
- type 2 diabetes;
- treated high blood pressure (hypertension);
- severe treatment-resistant hypertriglyceridaemia;
- NASH or liver fibrosis (with the hepatologist’s agreement);
- polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS);
- fertility issues with planned ART (IVF) treatment;
- chronic kidney disease (nephrologist’s opinion);
- obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA, AHI ≥ 15/h);
- severe obesity-related asthma (specialist opinion);
- disabling low-back pain, hip or knee osteoarthritis (specialist opinion);
- disabling, treatment-resistant urinary incontinence;
- hernia or incisional hernia requiring weight loss before surgery;
- resistant idiopathic intracranial hypertension;
- motor disability (rehabilitation doctor’s or neurologist’s opinion).
Conversely, “simple” dyslipidaemia (cholesterol) and cardiovascular disease are not on that list: outside these fourteen situations, BMI alone must reach 40.
Two things worth knowing: these diagnoses must be documented (reports, test results, current prescriptions), and it is your doctor who determines whether a comorbidity qualifies — not a self-assessment. To cross-check your BMI and these comorbidities against the full set of conditions (nutritional pathway included), our eligibility checker walks you through it in one minute, without sending any data. Treated hypertension or CPAP-managed apnoea still count in principle: “controlled” does not mean “gone”.
The detail that changes everything: the initial BMI
The rules say it in black and white: the BMI that counts is the one at the start of treatment — including for patients who began before reimbursement came into force. In other words, if treatment brought your BMI from 37 (with a comorbidity) down to 33, you remain eligible: losing weight won’t cost you your coverage. Hence the importance of a reliable record of your starting weight and your progression.
The Doza app keeps all of this up to date for you: starting weight, curve, BMI (with its calculation method and the WHO thresholds one tap away) and percentage lost — the key numbers of your file, on your iPhone, ready to show at the appointment.
If you’re below the thresholds
Below the thresholds — BMI 35 to 40 without a comorbidity, 30 to 35 with or without one, or 27 to 30 with one — the medicines’ marketing authorisation may cover your situation, but reimbursement will not. Prescription remains possible without coverage (unregulated price — as a guide, published prices run from €146.91 to €433.80 per month), and structured nutritional care remains the first step — the one the rules require before any reimbursement anyway.
FAQ — BMI and comorbidities
What BMI do you need for reimbursement in France?
An initial BMI of at least 40, or at least 35 with a weight-related comorbidity (type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnoea…). Added to that: 6 months of documented nutritional care and a first prescription from an accredited specialist.
My BMI is 36 and I have hypertension — do I qualify?
On the BMI and comorbidity criteria, yes. The other conditions still apply: the 6-month nutritional programme with less than 5% loss, and the first prescription from an accredited specialist centre.
My BMI dropped below 35 thanks to the treatment — will I lose coverage?
No: the rules use the BMI at the start of treatment. Continued coverage depends instead on the review around months 4 to 6 (at least 5% loss from your initial weight). Careful not to mix up the two “5%”: before treatment you must have lost less than 5% despite the nutritional programme; on treatment you must lose at least 5% to continue.
Does sleep apnoea count as a comorbidity?
Yes, obstructive sleep apnoea is among the named weight-related comorbidities — with or without a CPAP device. The diagnosis must be documented (sleep study).
Can a BMI of 34.8 be “rounded up” to 35?
No. Thresholds are thresholds: what counts is the BMI measured and recorded by the doctor at the start of treatment — not yours, and not a rounding. If you’re borderline, discuss it with them: they can verify the measurement, date the start of treatment precisely, or look for a comorbidity that changes the picture.
Sources: ministerial orders of 10 June 2026, Journal officiel of 12 June 2026 · Obesity classification — WHO · ameli.fr. General information only: real eligibility is for your doctor to assess.