labus

Hi,

We are EU citizens and want to retire early and then settle in France as self-suficient couple.
How does it work in our case? Can we contribute by monthly fees to the health system and benefit from medical care like french people do please?

Thanks

Scots in Treignac

Being a citizen of the EU isn't the important factor. It's the country to which you have been making conributions for your state pension and healthcare system. The age of entitlement to the state pension system.

For people who have contributed to the UK system, the Age at which men can make use of French Health care as a rersident of France is 65. For women it is 60.
As far as I am aware, there is an allowance of two years as a temporary resident as long as you have the necessary EU health card. Once again, contributions not citizenship are the important factor.

labus

Thanks a lot Scots in Treignac. Unfortunately I cannot rely on the country of origin since I crossed the ocean a long time ago, now living in Canada.
I was hoping I can contribute voluntarely to the french health system to be included in the health care that a regular french national woud get.

dmu

Hi, I think your only possibility of health coverage would be to take out private health insurance (Assurance-Santé with the same Insurance company as your house/car).
Hopefully there's some one in France in the same situation as you, who will be of more help!

labus

Thanks dmu . I hope someone can fill in some insurance fees, just to get an ideea of the cost.

cyrian

I suggest that you search for threads about Carte Vitale which is the french state health insurance card.
Even being an EU citizen, I do not get access directly to the french healthcare system until I reach 65 and only then because I have contributed to the system in another member state.
I currently have to rely on the reciprocity between EU states because of my contributions in the UK.
They don't make it easy for non-french EU citizens to get the Carte Vitale and my french friend's wife who is dutch had delays/difficulty in getting her Carte Vitale.
The french system means that people have to purchase top-up medical insurance as described by dmu.
Good hunting

dmu

Hi,
I was thinking more along the lines of an individual Health Insurance if the OP hasn't contributed in the EU and isn't eligible for a Carte Vitale.
If you do get into the System, then a Mutuelle (not necessarily with a "normal" insurance company) is highly recommended to top up what the Social Security doesn't reimburse.
Good luck, whatever!

cyrian

Hi dmu
The OP is asking if they can contribute to the french medical system like french people do and I think that we are both telling him that he can't.
He would have to establish residency and pay via employment into the system but he appears not to have the benefit of contributions in another member state. e.g. UK that would provide eligibility until he gets the Carte Vitale.

Also, he may not have healthcare cover in the UK if he has fallen out of the system like many other expats.

Best of luck

dmu

Yep! I've since discovered that voluntary contributions do exist:
http://www.legislation.cnav.fr/doc/c...SA_COTMO.htm#1
but this is applicable to those who, for example, are unemployed between jobs, and who want to make up the missing months.
So, the OP's only bet appears to be to take out an individual Assurance-Santé with an insurance company (which, as a couple, will eat into their budget proposed on the other thread).

Annetje

Hi, we live in France, completly legal, meaning : we pay income and all other taxes here in France. We don't have any other home than the one here.
We are 'early retirees' (at mo 63 and 52) and when we became legal here, now 13 years ago, we discovered that income tax here is cheaper than in the UK, but we do have to pay into the French health system, which, in our case, was quiet expensive. This does mean that we follow the system like French people do. I also know that the contribution to the 'CPAM' is linked to your yearly salary. When the exchange rate collapsed, the next year in august/september when your taxform is dealt with by the tax man, the contribution automatically went down.
Good luck with your move to France.

labus

Thanks Annetje. In your case you worked in France prior to retiring, which might be easy legislation wise.
Probably we neeed to think of a small business (street vendor or stamp licking ), even though it will not bring much income, at least I will be able to contribute to 'CPAM'.
How much would the contribution be in your case please? We are 53 and 49 but probably it won't make much of a difference, but a figure will help me get an ideea how much we need to take in consideration when we arrive with the luggages full of money.

Annetje

Sorry, I had to be clear.
We never worked in France. We worked overseas for most of our life, last in Afrika. We worked for an English company.
Joining the CPAM took a bit of effort (like everything in any country ) .
Like I said, the contribution is related to anual income, in our case a company pension which we could start early when my husband was 50. Think we were a bit lucky in that regard.
Hope this helps a bit

labus

Thanks Annetje, of course every bit of information helps.
In our case there is no income, the pension will come only after I reach 65, but we have a bulk of money from which we'll spend, also if this can be considered income, we'll get an interest every year, or I might do some investments.
If you don't mind can you give me some details on how you manage to join CPAM please?

Annetje

If you don't mind can you give me some details on how you manage to join CPAM please?[/QUOTE]

It was a long time ago now, but I think we just went to see the Social Security man, who was at the Mairie (local town hall, in every village) once a week. We just said we wanted to join the Social Security, and basically we were secured the same day. Not a big problem, in our case.
It does help if one speaks French when one goes to see these people. He actually spoke with a very strong Provence accent, so we really had to pay attention to what he said
I don't think they do montly payments, we pay a quartely amount every 3 months.
Good Luck

labus

It was a long time ago now, but I think we just went to see the Social Security man, who was at the Mairie (local town hall, in every village) once a week. We just said we wanted to join the Social Security, and basically we were secured the same day. Not a big problem, in our case.
It does help if one speaks French when one goes to see these people. He actually spoke with a very strong Provence accent, so we really had to pay attention to what he said
I don't think they do montly payments, we pay a quartely amount every 3 months.
Good Luck[/QUOTE]

Thanks. How much, roughly, is the quaterly contribution please? I need to get an ideea of the cost, I just need to plan how much we need to put aside for CPAM basket. I know it's going to be different in our case.