jvc

Do many people in France have additional cover on their CPAM or top up? I am thinking we could benefit from a BUPA or AXA scheme in addition to our top up. I know it is incredibly expensive and not sure how this fits into the health system and if it is worth it? I know that many RDVs with consultants in France do require a wait, as they do in the UK, but not sure whether the extra money is worthy of a private assurance scheme as well in France? What would happen if you had private health and needed to phone a consultant for a RDV? I am assuming if you said you were private, you still aren't guaranteed to be seen any quicker? Also, I presume most private clinics are in the bigger towns and cities?

Chatter Static

I had been planning on asking about things on this topic as I would like to improve my dental cover being a 300 percent doesn't help much when you need crowns etc and wondered if there are any supplemental insurances or just one top up that has outstanding dental cover.

grannybunz

Would that they were! It is all to do with the professions that are safeguarded so there is no way you can get out of paying loads extra

loy loy

I don't have any dental care, we just have hospital care.

I had a crown last year and thought it was comparable to the UK, after getting my money back from RAM I think it cost me about 300e

Just had some work done to my intestines (emergency) and I was very pleased with the speed and quality of care. And my hospital mutuelle was really good.

We really didn't think the difference in price between that and the full mutuelle was worth it. Something like 1000e a year. Certainly GP care wouldn't ever make up that difference (thats about 120 visits). And the dental care just doesn't seem worth it either. I would not have got all that 300e back. But we constantly monitor it. Eldest daughter is approaching orthodontist work

Raggermuffin

Hi I have recently joined the Forum and could not help but see this Thread. We have lived in France for a few years now and it was necessary for my husband to have a small operation on his nose. We pay for him a Private Medical Insurance similar to BUPA nearly £300 per month from the UK. I cannot fault how the French looked after my husband but it took an awful long time to actually get into hospital.

My experience in the UK with private medical - see consultant and book the surgery within a week or two. It was very difficult in-fact impossible portraying that we did not want CPAM and we would cover the complete care with our own policy.

As I said the treatment was good but very basic. He shared a room and did not have a bathroom. Again not terrible but one would expect for £300 per month you would receive a few comforts. I am still left with the Invoices or part Invoices which I have to claim back from UK which is a pain as they come in drips and drabs, you then have to pay them, then await a receipt.before you can send off your claim to UK.(If you try scanning and emailing the file is too large as so many documents) From my own experience I think it is better to use CPAM and a top-up Mutual Insurance. It is simpler for the French and certainly easier for yourself in what may be a difficult time.

I mentioned how much we pay in the UK. i decided to get a quote for him and it was less than €60. which included Hospital, Prescription,s Physio, Xray Dental and Glasses. So I know what I will do when his current claim is cleared up. I am not an expert but stick with CPAM and top-up

Best wishes. XX

InVinoVeritas

As Raggermuffin says I don't think you can beat CPAM and a top-up. The whole system is geared around people having this combination and from my own experience you get treated and reimbursed very quickly.

Unfortunately I don't think you can get insured at a reasonable price for dental and optical, probably because everyone would be claiming and therefore the premiums would not reflect any discounted risk.

jvc

The reimbursement is fine but what about speedy treatment just with CPAM and top up as opposed to Private health cover?

loy loy

I went to hospital with stomach pains, I was in surgery in the morning. Own room, toilet etc. Excellent care. Didn't have to pay anything up front. RAM and mutuelle sorted all of it.

No complaints.

Peabrain

I've never come across purely private health care cover here in France, perhaps because I don't move in the right circles... but the system as I know it works so well compared with what I hear from family back in the UK that there would be little point.
As regards top-up insurance, there are those who say that if one is still young, it isn't necessarily worth it for an individual (it may be different when one has children). My mutuelle costs me 115 euros a month, which is extortionate, but then I'm retired and the older you get, the higher the premium. In my experience having a mutuelle makes no difference whatsoever to the time it takes to get an appointment.
For those of us who've been over here for many years, there have been vast improvements in the way patients pay; now it is very common for no money to change hands, if one has top-up insurance; hence no more waiting around for ages to get reimbursed.

loy loy

Is that for one? because if that's a couple that doesn't sound too bad. Our top, which as I said is for hospital only, albeit a very good mutuelle, is about 60e for 2a and 2c.

Our quote for full was 140E a month with worse hospital care and basic dental etc.

This is why we made the decision we did.

grannybunz

We pay practically the same - around €100 each - as we did when we started 14 years ago, because of bonuses. We are well over retirement age and reckon we have good cover for most things. However dentists and opticians in France can charge just about what they like outside standard stuff.

I know there has been a lot of discussion about this in the press and on television.

We get over the optical bit by visiting our son in Jersey every couple of years and getting eye-tests etc which are reimborsed on our mutuelle, though we would be perfectly happy to pay for the eye tests.

jvc

We use a private dentist in the UK and eye tests too! So much easier and takes no time during a quick visit. I know opticians here are booked up for so long, not worth the hastle.
The question on private health has always been at the back of my mind as I know you can use private hospitals just about anywhere, even in the UK if it came to it! Think this has come to light again as we are hearing of more and more friends and colleagues being struck down with major illnesses. I still think private health in the UK takes some beating, and certainly here can get a RDV within a week, as opposed to a few weeks on a CV here.

loy loy

I have a question on eye care that I may as well ask here if that's ok.

I am having an eye test back in the UK in a couple of weeks time. I will need new glasses because it's my first for about 5 years. I plan on getting the glasses while I am there.

But I also wear contact lenses, and they won't post them overseas. Does anyone get contact lenses here in France?

Peabrain

I'm not sure I understand the question. 4 million people use contact lenses in France, and for reasons that escape me, the patient gets a higher reimbursement than do those poor saps that wear regular glasses. If you mean does anyone get contact lenses sent over from the UK, as with rhd cars here, I can't see the point, but that's no doubt me just being obtuse.

jvc

I would need to check but I was told that (I think) Optical Express have a subsidery in France, so if you have an eye test in the UK, they can forward lenses and glasses to their french partners but would need to clarify this.