Discrimination is defined as different, unfavourable and illegitimate treatment. This post-doctoral research was conducted on racial discrimination, specifically with respect to health care access. The authors observed and questioned during the course of semi-directed interviews, 175 health care professionals on-site at their workplaces (administrators, care providers, social workers) in metropolitan France and French Guiana. Based on a qualitative analysis of this material, three types of discriminatory practices were identified. The first two were rooted in the individual professional's perception of the patient's racial origin (illegitimatising and differentiation). The third was ingrained in institutional logic independent of the professionals' intentions (indirect discrimination). The article concludes with a series of recommendations which aim to combat these types of discrimination.