Hi

I am thinking of making the move next year, retired, 67. I have tried to read into the healthcare rules but cant get a definitive understanding. Can anyone help with some basics please?

I have a few prescriptions now for statins, blood pressure etc. I assume I will be able to get them in France but will have to pay? Expensive?

As best as I can understand, by joining a national scheme, I could get cover for 70% of general costs. Does that mean if I had an AE episode like a heart attack or succumbed to cancer I would need to pay for 30% of the costs?

Finally, if I needed something routinish like a hip replacement, where would I stand? (no pun intended!)

Many thanks

Neil

I am assuming that you are from the UK and have a British passport.If so then you need to get a Visa to live permanently in France.As well as financial considerations-you will need to show that you have an income equal to the french minimum wage called SMIC-also you will need to get healthcare insurance policy for a year .After you move you need to get a Carte de Sejour from your local prefecture to say you are in France legally.You can join the French health system after three months of residence Firstly as you are retired you will eligible for a form called an S1 which basically means that the UK is paying for your healthcare.After 3 months you go to an organisation called CPAM where they will check your documentation and in due course they will send you a Carte Vitale which is your passport to State funded treatment.Note that these admin steps will take several months so you will need to keep your private healthcare going until you are enrolled and you can then choose your GP.Note that some rural areas in France are short on medical personnel so you need to choose where you live with this in mind.As a retired person you will not have to pay any contributions to the French healthcare system-but see below..However you are going to have to do some research as to the best healthcare policy for you when you move bearing in mind your existing conditions
The french system is not the same as the NHS-if you go to see a DR physio nurse etc you pay a set fee upfront-then by swiping your carte Vitale you will be reimbursed 70% of the cost.Most people have a top up or mutuelle insurance(which cannot take into account existing conditions) which pays the rest.These payments will be paid direct into your French bank account.If you need to go into hospital the hospitals are normally reimbursed direct by your Carte Vitale and top up insurance . If you have a chronic illness like cancer or a heart condition the french state pays for the lot.
Many expats on medication will bring (if they can get them) a large quantity of their current meds with them to tide them over but there is nothing to stop you going to a doctor to get scripts etc but you will need to pay the dr and pharmacy direct but keep your receipts as you may be able to claim them back
I hope that explains it and it may look complicated at first but when you actually do it it all slips into place and works well

The UK Government has this guidance for Healthcare for UK nationals living in France. This guidance is part of a larger collection of pages about Living in France. These should be useful links, alongside the excellent advice you get here.

Have you changed your mind about a move to Spain?
France can be less accommodating than Spain with regards to expats unless you move to a Brit enclave.
Nobody in France speaks to me in English. That includes local officials; utilities; shop staff etc.
As has been said, French healthcare is not free at the point of use.
A hip replacement would only be 70% covered and you would have to have mutuelle insurance or pay for the other 30%.
The same applies to optics and dental.
There are two systems which run together in France - the State Healthcare and Private healthcare.
The Private system may - or may not - accept your carte vitale but almost certainly will not be covered by the UK.
For the income you declared in the Spain forum, you would also have to pay social charges as well as income tax.
If you are married or in a civil partnership then you can declare your income as a household and your tax-free allowance would be calculated accordingly.
If you have children or other people that you want to inherit your estate then they will potentially have to pay inheritance tax at lower levels than the UK.
HTH

When I had a hip replacement, the single rooms at the hospital and in the Re-education Centre were paid for directly by my Mutuelle (top-up insurance), otherwise the Sécu paid for it all. There again, I've been in the System for a long time, and, if I were you, I would wait until your healthcare situation here is clear before you venture into such an operation. There are blood tests, X-rays, bone densitometry, consultations with Cardiologist and Anaesthetist, before the op, and you'd need physio sessions after the Re-education Centre. All well and good if your private insurance covers all these, but a Mutuelle is essential once you've got the Carte Vitale.
Be aware that a French Doctor will want to see blood test results before prescribing medecines, whatever a British Doctor has prescribed.....

Your post crossed with mine!
I agree that a decent level of French would be necessary, unless the OP chooses to live in a British enclave and depend on others to deal with their private business. I would add that optics and dental aren't reimbursed 70% by the Sécu and 30% by the Mutuelle! Both normally reimburse peanuts....
The question of "partners" often comes up as a minor detail, but the OP should realize that the French Administration considers a couple not legally bound as two individuals in many respects, not the least the 60% Inheritance Tax that the surviving partner must pay if he/she is mentioned in a French Will.
There are more factors than simply healthcare costs to take into account before a move!

You should note that IMO every hospital and health professional is in essence "private" as they get their income from the payments you make.
For example there are two hospitals in Morlaix- one run by the "state" although independent-and the other run by a group of Doctors and Specialists with private finance.
Both can do more or less the same things both have an A&E and both are affiliated to the state system and in fact often staff work in both establishments.
Some time ago I needed a minor op (day surgery) and saw a specialist at his office in Carhaix paid my fee and we agreed the op would take place in the "private" hospital at Morlaix as he also had a clinic there.I had to see the anaethestist before hand and paid my fee to him .On the day of the op I turned up handed over my Carte Vitale and after a nice sleep I went home
All paid for and reimbursed so as long as the establishment and the health professional is affiliated then there is no real difference really

I agree with that but some practitioners state that they do not accept a Carte Vitale.
If your healthcare is covered by the UK then you would need to use a state hospital.

Faraway74 - we just made the move and my wife is 67. She didn't need insurance for the year as the UK will provide those of pensionable age with a S1 which is a certificate used for health care abroad until you get your Carte Vitale.