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Upon retirement, out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare spending may increase for two reasons: an increase in the consumption of healthcare services and the loss of employer-funded insurance coverage. In this paper, we assess the effect of retirement on OOP health expenditures in France and consider different effects in relation to income level to better understand the implications for the standard of living of retirees and inequalities among this population. Using the seventh wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), we present an instrumental variable (IV) model taking into consideration the discontinuity in the potential to retire. We conclude that retirement increases OOP health spending by 148 percent, where the use of health care is equal, and this increase is greater among higher-income earners. For the wealthiest 50 percent, this increase in OOP healthcare spending accompanies an increase in the consumption of healthcare services, in particular outpatient care.