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Health cover/insurance in France

Health cover/insurance in France

Old Mar 15th 2009, 1:39 am
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Default Health cover/insurance in France

Hey guys! Just wondering what your thoughts were on the best way to go about health insurance etc. I will be coming to France on a British passport for at least a year maybe more, would it be best to get Australian travel insurance for the first year and then take it from there or should i wait to investigate the French options?

Merci beaucoup!!!
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Old Mar 15th 2009, 12:35 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Originally Posted by chrislane
Hey guys! Just wondering what your thoughts were on the best way to go about health insurance etc. I will be coming to France on a British passport for at least a year maybe more, would it be best to get Australian travel insurance for the first year and then take it from there or should i wait to investigate the French options?

Merci beaucoup!!!
Hi there! Will you be a student, working, lazing around? Students have a Mutuelle d'Etudiants which is simply the Social Security for students, which you register with when enrolling at University, not to be confused with the top-up Mutuelle that employees pay to complete to 100% the reimbursements that the S.S. pays. Non-working, pre-retired expats must take out private insurance. If you specify what category you'll be in, some one will be able to advise in greater detail...
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Old Mar 20th 2009, 6:57 am
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Whoops, sorry..... I will be working!
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Old Mar 20th 2009, 7:44 am
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Originally Posted by chrislane
Whoops, sorry..... I will be working!
I'm going away for a week, so a quick reply to say that your company will deduct your French Social Security "contributions" from your salary and you'll be reimbursed for approx. 70% of medical costs. When you arrive, look into all the "Mutuelles" on offer and calculate whether it'll be worthwhile taking out this top-up insurance for 100% reimbursement, for so short a time. Hope this helps!
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Old Mar 22nd 2009, 3:47 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

I have only been in France a few months but applied for and recieved a carte vitale pretty quickly even without a job. Now that I have a job I have also taken out a top up insurance (mutuelle) with my bank. This insures that if I were to need treatment, visit a doctor/dentist etc. I would receive all the fees that I pay back. Mutuelles cover a range of % reimbursements...most doctors etc. charge a set fee but some charge more so I have taken out a 150% reimbursement that covers practitioners that decide to charge more thank the set rate. I am a young(ish), healthy woman and my mutuelle is 45 euros per month. Bear in mind that you the securite sociale will only pay a maximum of 70% of any treatment (I think) so if you are faced with a bill of 5,000 euros that still leaved 1,500 euros for you to pay.
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Old Mar 22nd 2009, 3:51 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Originally Posted by GillyG
I have only been in France a few months but applied for and recieved a carte vitale pretty quickly even without a job. Now that I have a job I have also taken out a top up insurance (mutuelle) with my bank. This insures that if I were to need treatment, visit a doctor/dentist etc. I would receive all the fees that I pay back. Mutuelles cover a range of % reimbursements...most doctors etc. charge a set fee but some charge more so I have taken out a 150% reimbursement that covers practitioners that decide to charge more thank the set rate. I am a young(ish), healthy woman and my mutuelle is 45 euros per month. Bear in mind that you the securite sociale will only pay a maximum of 70% of any treatment (I think) so if you are faced with a bill of 5,000 euros that still leaved 1,500 euros for you to pay.
Mutuelle is a must in the long term you never know whats going to sneak up on you and a Ride accross Toulouse to Rangueil could set you back 300 euros if you had no Mutuelle
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Old Mar 23rd 2009, 10:55 am
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

This is another issue to sort out on my list before we leave England in Mid May for good (woo hoo!).

I can receive my Incap Benefit in France and have just done the form. But I think I need an E121 form to cover me - don't know if this covers all of it, ie the missing 30% as well, or if I will need the top-up - anyone know?

Pete is another matter, and we will need to buy him a health insurance policy of some sort, but still at the research stage. Any suggestions anyone? We do have a bank account with Credit Mutuel and wondered if they do them?

We both currently have the plastic cards which I am presuming cover us for the initial 6 months until we "become" French resident, but is that correct?
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Old Mar 23rd 2009, 5:37 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Originally Posted by Andrea50
This is another issue to sort out on my list before we leave England in Mid May for good (woo hoo!).

I can receive my Incap Benefit in France and have just done the form. But I think I need an E121 form to cover me - don't know if this covers all of it, ie the missing 30% as well, or if I will need the top-up - anyone know?

Pete is another matter, and we will need to buy him a health insurance policy of some sort, but still at the research stage. Any suggestions anyone? We do have a bank account with Credit Mutuel and wondered if they do them?

We both currently have the plastic cards which I am presuming cover us for the initial 6 months until we "become" French resident, but is that correct?
If your coming with a Incapacity Benefit Claim then get the 121 from DWP overseas dept if your long term then they should give you one that lasts 8+ Years, this you take to Cpam and they should issue you with a Carte Vital based on that, I would advise taking out the extra Muetulle as well as just going the `CMU route gives you terrible dental cover and terrible Optical cover. Also if your getting Incapacity Benefit Overseas check and see if you are entitled to Tax Credits as they are payed as well, Also when on Incapacity Benefit Overseas you can continue Child Benefit Claims in the UK.

You may find that you have to see an Oversea Assessment Doctor once you are in France, they are very rigorous in the assessment take lots of medical evidence.
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Old Mar 23rd 2009, 6:58 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Great, thanks, that's really helpful. I had better get copies of the personal capability assessment reports I have had - doctor has to come here to me at home on what's called a Domestic Visit as I am "exempt" from going to them due to my diagnosis, and I have evidence of that as well.

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Old Mar 23rd 2009, 8:11 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

I was under the impression that full state healthcare is granted to EU citizens working in France. Am I mistaken?
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Old Mar 23rd 2009, 9:08 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

I thought that the huge social charges that employers pay on behalf of their employees (I have heard figures of up to 40% of salary) went towards the provision of healthcare. From what I have read in this thread, this only covers 70% of actual costs and we would need an additional private type insurance as a top up. Am I reading this right?
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Old Mar 23rd 2009, 10:10 pm
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Originally Posted by Td0t
I was under the impression that full state healthcare is granted to EU citizens working in France. Am I mistaken?
Originally Posted by south_bound
I thought that the huge social charges that employers pay on behalf of their employees (I have heard figures of up to 40% of salary) went towards the provision of healthcare. From what I have read in this thread, this only covers 70% of actual costs and we would need an additional private type insurance as a top up. Am I reading this right?
Even when working Top Up insurance is required, This is known as Mutuelle Insurance. Having never worked for an employer in France I don't know if any off them pick up the tab on this as well, But for a Family of Four Two Adults and Two Children under ten it's between 95 and 130 euros per month depending on the Level/Type of Top Up. It is to be noted that some children's medications are not coved by Cpam or Mutuelle and you have to pay full cost. Which is not much usually.
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Old Mar 28th 2009, 8:39 am
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Default Re: Health cover/insurance in France

Originally Posted by Ka Ora!
Having never worked for an employer in France I don't know if any off them pick up the tab on this as well.
When I was salariée, my employer deducted the Mutuelle contributions from my salary (all the employees were covered by the same Mutuelle), after which I was my own employer and chose a different one, and it came out of my pocket anyway. As far as I know, a Mutuelle isn't compulsory and, if the OP is only here for a year and is healthy, it might work out cheaper not to take one out and just be partly reimbursed by the S.S. for occasional consultations and medicine, all the more so as the Mutuelles don't reimburse false teeth or spectacles to 100%. On the other hand, the OP's employer might say that the company's chosen Mutuelle is compulsory...
I'd say, Wait and see.....
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