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Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Old Oct 10th 2011, 11:38 am
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Default Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Hi
Can anyone help me ?
We are moving to France and have been provided with private medical insurance by my husbands company. I will not be working but will still need to obtain repeat prescriptions and also due to us having 2 children we will need to register with a Doctor. Can anyone advise whether we will still need to get the top up insurance to cover the Carte Vital or will it be covered by the Private medical insurance ?
Very confused by what we need to bring and do when we arrive !!

Thanks
Jane
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Old Oct 10th 2011, 12:18 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by Jane631
Hi
Can anyone help me ?
We are moving to France and have been provided with private medical insurance by my husbands company. I will not be working but will still need to obtain repeat prescriptions and also due to us having 2 children we will need to register with a Doctor. Can anyone advise whether we will still need to get the top up insurance to cover the Carte Vital or will it be covered by the Private medical insurance ?
Very confused by what we need to bring and do when we arrive !!

Thanks
Jane
Up until the time I took early retirement I had no Carte Vital nor took out any private medical insurance/Mutual, as 100% was covered by my companies private medical insurance and everything worked a treat.
In your situation I would doubt that you need to take out additional private medical insurance, but be sure to get this confirmed by the HR department of your husband's company.

Last edited by Tweedpipe; Oct 10th 2011 at 12:21 pm.
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Old Oct 10th 2011, 9:39 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by Jane631
Hi
Can anyone help me ?
We are moving to France and have been provided with private medical insurance by my husbands company. I will not be working but will still need to obtain repeat prescriptions and also due to us having 2 children we will need to register with a Doctor. Can anyone advise whether we will still need to get the top up insurance to cover the Carte Vital or will it be covered by the Private medical insurance ?
Very confused by what we need to bring and do when we arrive !!

Thanks
Jane
Definitely check with the HR dept at your husband's company. Your post implies you have a Carte Vitale - if so, then it is your husband's social security contributions that mean you are entitled to the Carte Vitale, you may also have a mutuelle/top-up through the company as well. If so, everything should be covered automatically.

If your husband's company is providing full private health insurance, then you would need to pay for any treatment/medication and then submit the receipts to the insurance company. Also, check carefully what is covered.
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Old Oct 10th 2011, 10:24 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by TinaBee
Definitely check with the HR dept at your husband's company. Your post implies you have a Carte Vitale - if so, then it is your husband's social security contributions that mean you are entitled to the Carte Vitale, you may also have a mutuelle/top-up through the company as well. If so, everything should be covered automatically.

If your husband's company is providing full private health insurance, then you would need to pay for any treatment/medication and then submit the receipts to the insurance company. Also, check carefully what is covered.
Thanks TB,
Part of the confusion is that my husband will be working in Geneva but we are living in France. I'll start with the Insurance company and go from there !
Jane
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Old Oct 11th 2011, 7:58 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Hi

we're looking at moving to Normandy next year without company health care, does anybody have any recomendations on the best health care to buy or can we use the EHIC card?

thanks for any help
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Old Oct 11th 2011, 9:06 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by jennyandjohn
Hi

we're looking at moving to Normandy next year without company health care, does anybody have any recomendations on the best health care to buy or can we use the EHIC card?

thanks for any help
You cannot use the EHIC if you become resident in France. If you are currently working you can ask the DWP if you qualify for an S1 form which will provide cover under the French healthcare system for a period of time (up to 2 years, depending on your NI contributions). Other ways into the French health system are to work or run a business. The final alternative is full private healthcare which I believe can cost in the region of €3000 per person per year.
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Old Oct 11th 2011, 11:47 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

thanks for the reply, we intend to buy a renovation project and let a gite or 2 (we have a building business here so are going into it with our eyes open (except for the healthcare )
do you know if there is a big cost involved if we go as running a business? I'm trying to find out as much as I can before we seek professional assistance

thanks
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Old Oct 12th 2011, 6:37 am
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by jennyandjohn
thanks for the reply, we intend to buy a renovation project and let a gite or 2 (we have a building business here so are going into it with our eyes open (except for the healthcare )
do you know if there is a big cost involved if we go as running a business? I'm trying to find out as much as I can before we seek professional assistance

thanks
Hi, google or make a forum search for "auto-entrepreneurs" - this is a one-man start-up business with limited turnover, which gives social security cover and fiscal advantages (at the beginning).
Some one will come along to say whether the "one-man's" spouse is also covered for the social security, which only covers about 70% of medical expenses, so you'll have to get a Mutuelle (top-up insurance) for the other 30% which can cost up to 150€ a month for a couple.
Hope this helps!
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Old Oct 12th 2011, 9:45 am
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

this has helped greatly, thank you so much, I didn't expect health care to cost quite so much, naively thought that the NHS was now available for Brits in Europe.
is there any other thing else we may have overlooked, that you don't really find out until you get there, do you think?

thank you
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Old Oct 12th 2011, 9:59 am
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by jennyandjohn
this has helped greatly, thank you so much, I didn't expect health care to cost quite so much, naively thought that the NHS was now available for Brits in Europe.
is there any other thing else we may have overlooked, that you don't really find out until you get there, do you think?

thank you
Be very careful about what business structure you choose. Autoentrepreneur is fine for some businesses but as the previous poster said, the turnover limit is very low and there is no way of claiming actual expenses against it. For other business structures the social charges (called "cotisations") may be in the region of 50% - this is before tax! And you will be expected to pay, irrespective of your turnover.

Do a lot of research before taking the plunge. Many people advise that you will need enough money to live on for 3 years whilst starting a business in France, in order to get you through.

This site may help explain how things work

http://thenakedaccountant.wordpress....s-to-start-up/
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Old Oct 12th 2011, 11:02 am
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by jennyandjohn
I didn't expect health care to cost quite so much, naively thought that the NHS was now available for Brits in Europe.
thank you
The French S.S. reimburses 70% to every one in the System. It's not compulsory to take out a Mutuelle, but it's advisable. When you've suddenly got a bad back and need physiotherapy (for example), the sessions at 30% all add up...
I suggested the Auto-Entrepreneur route as it's the simplest for a start-up company.
As mentioned above, the social charges are horrendous for any other type of company, you'd pay 50% of your declared salary in "côtisations" before you could start paying yourself. A couple can survive on a monthly income of 1000€, so you'd have to bill (and be paid) nearly 2000€ per month to cover these côtisations, professional insurance, overheads, accountant's fees (indispensable), etc.., not to mention the initial capital to be put up. I used to have an Sàrl (limited liability company) and I know...
You may do well to consult an Expert-Comptable who would advise you about the best business structure to choose....
I'd also recommend researching carefully into the potential market for your business. If Normandie is anything like the Languedoc, there'll be a lot of competition from established French (and European) builders and your French must be adequate to compete with them (and deal with the inevitable bureaucracy!). You must also know the French standards which are sometimes quite different from the UK.
Hope this isn't too offputting, but forewarned is forearmed!
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Old Oct 12th 2011, 11:13 am
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

thanks for the replies, we've still got a year to plan and this has been really helpful, lots to think about
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Old Oct 12th 2011, 3:20 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Frankly, without further regular income to rely on, I think you will find it very difficult to earn a living out of a couple of Gites !

If you are saying that you are self employed in UK ("we have a building business here") then different rules can apply to your S1 entitlement and it may be limited to only 1 year but whatever it's duration starting a business in France will automatically void it.
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Old Oct 15th 2011, 6:31 pm
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Default Re: Private medical Insurance and registering with the Doctor in France

Originally Posted by dmu
Hi, google or make a forum search for "auto-entrepreneurs" - this is a one-man start-up business with limited turnover, which gives social security cover and fiscal advantages (at the beginning).
Some one will come along to say whether the "one-man's" spouse is also covered for the social security, which only covers about 70% of medical expenses, so you'll have to get a Mutuelle (top-up insurance) for the other 30% which can cost up to 150€ a month for a couple.
Hope this helps!
Just a heads-up that mutuelle charges will again be on the increase for 2012 by 4.7%. Believe that will take ours to almost 170€/month. But honestly, worth every cent. Health-wise you never know what may befall you tomorrow.
Article info HERE.
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