Decided at Last, but need HELP
 

Hello Forum members:)

Its been a long time since I last posted,but then we were looking at Northern Spain.
We live in Jaen area of Spain,and find that it is excessively HOT in summer,usually in top 40s.:ohmy:
Due to OH health problems,had heart attack and collapsed lung,2 years ago,and presently suffering from kidney stones,( AGGRAVATED BY ANDALUCIAN WATER--lots of calcium)
:frown:
We feel that Northern France,reasonably coastal,would be for us.

We are both UK pensioners,I am 61 and OH is 69 years old in receipt of UK state pension only.

We have made numerous enquiries as to our position in moving to France re the Health situation,it seems we should be able to get Healthcare free,but I am totally confused as to whether we need top-up ins or what.

May I ask you esteemed people:),what exactly should we expect, and if required what sort of ins should we need,( also cost)

I have trawled thro most of the Q and A's but:unsure: didn't find what I needed.
Knowing me I probably missed the answer I needed.

Many Thanks,from the frying pan of La Bobadilla

Daisy- May
:(

Re: Decided at Last, but need HELP
 

Hi Daisy_May
sorry to hear about your OH's ill health.
Have you seen this website - it might give you more information
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/...tion.asp#guide
It would be advisable for you to get top up insurance from a mutuelle.
There are various companies that offer this, including AXA, Swisslife, Exclusive. If you do a search on Google you will find details of the various companies. If you contact them, they will be able to give you a quote for how much it will cost you for mutuelle cover.

Re: Decided at Last, but need HELP
 

As you are both pensioners you will be entitled to the E121 from the DWP.

This will enable you to join the French Healthcare system and be covered in the same way as French nationals. It is not normally 100% cover, but only 65%-70%, which is why you will normally need a top-up insurance to cover the difference.

There is a good guide to understanding the French healthcare system here:

http://www.frenchentree.com/fe-healt...cle.asp?ID=197

You can find a comparison of top-up insurance (Santé) and other insurance costs here:

http://assurland.com/

Top-up health insurance costs vary widely depending on your age, and how much cover you want. In the French system 100% does not always mean it covers ALL of the costs you may incur.

Re: Decided at Last, but need HELP
 

Hi,
I have had extensive experience of both the english and french health service and I can assure you the french health service and it is truely excellent. However you will only be covered for 80% of the costs if you end up in hospital. Hospitals are very thorough and my experience is that you would spend longer in a hospital in France than England. Full cost of a room is about 1200 Euros so as you can see your 20% of the bill could soon mount up. So you need the top up.