dreamer55

I've been reading on the NHS website that France now has to allow EU subjects into the state system if they're resident in France (after an initial private healthcare period while the registration is being processed). Does anyone know what the charges for early retirees are? In Spain it's around 65 euro pm until age 65, then it rises to 157E. Is France along these lines? (I know there would still be charges payable for prescriptions etc). Has anyone had any problems registering with the CPMU? Thanks.

EuroTrash

This has been the case for several years. You can apply once can show you've been legally resident in France for 3 months (proof of address, proof of income etc). It's not a flat rate contribution, it's based on income as declared on your tax return for the previous year, but there appears to be discretion to adjust it upwards if people are on a low income but perceived as being asset-rich. But the scheme was changed recently, bills are issued annually and the first bills haven't come out yet, due at the end of this year, so nobody knows for sure how it's going to be done in practice and whether or not it's going to be significantly different from the old CMU system. Under CMU I think it used to be 8% of all household income over approx 9k. So people were paying anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand a year.
Not sure what CPMU is - the offices you register at are CPAM and the service you register for is PUMA.

dreamer55

Thanks for your response - very useful. I read that France had been insisting that early retirees had private healthcare but have been pressured by the EU to comply with the scheme outlined above. Hurray for the EU!! (I'll be coming over on an Irish passport, just in case!) The UK govt website warns that we may still experience some reluctance from the local CPAM (don't know why I wrote 'CPMU'!), which is why I'm keen to hear if anyone in a similar boat has had any problems.

EuroTrash

I think the UK govt website may be a little out of date, the inactif healthcare problems in France are ancient history now. British inactifs were routinely able to register successfully under the last 2 or 3 years of CMU - CPAM actually set up a special processing centre in Nîmes to deal with applications from EU inactifs which was in operation for several years, I don't know if it still is or if applications are dealt with locally under PUMA. But I don't think the new PUMA rules will change for inactif expats. The application form still seems to ask for all the same paperwork - proof of ID, proof of residence, proof of income

dreamer55

Thanks again Eurotrash.

Annetje

Sorry to jump in this conversation, but I have a bit of weird situation.
Living in France since 1996, paying for healthcare as early retirees.
My husband passed away in 2010 and I have been paying my own contributions ever since.

Now, since almost 2 years , I suddenly get NO bills any more. They didn't even sent me the yearly declaration (normally in September) to fill in last year. My situation has not changed (still early retiree) and my income is well above the minimum.
At first I rang them to ask about it (silly me) and they told me to wait. This was about 1,5 years ago. Haven't heard from them since. They still pay doctors and pharmacie etc. but I do not pay them !

Any idea anyone ?
Should I contact them again and complain about not getting a bill ?

EuroTrash

No, no bills were sent out last year because the old CMU system was replaced by PUMA on 1.1.16, and PUMA contributions are based on your last year's tax return i.e. last year but one's income. Thus contributions for 2016 would in theory have been based on 2014 income but since the 2015 tax exercise hadn't made provision for this, it was decided not to implement it retrospectively. So no bills were issued in 2016, the first bills will be sent out later this year and will be based on your 2015 income as declared in April 2016.
If that makes sense.
Since the tax people and URSSAF now share information and the figures used to calculate your cotisations will be taken from your déclaration de revenus, there will in future be no separate yearly declaration to fill in for URSSAF.
So basically there is no problem and you will just have to try and put up with not getting a bill - all early retirees had a free year last year, and like they told you, you just need to wait a few more months.

Annetje

Thank you so very much ... I was very worried getting a huge bill for the last 8 quarters (can you imagine) ! Big load of my shoulders and out of my head

dreamer55

eurotrash, you're a treasure!