Agenais

Hi Benjamin, It is only recently that I have used the CPAM e-mail system and yes, it seems to work very well.  They started by replying by e-mail but now they usually telephone me, once they have sorted out whatever the question was. After a couple of repetitions they get the message across, sometimes in one go, if I am in French mode and catch me after several coffees [C]  If its too early in the day, then I struggle to speak any comprehensible language and "allo oui" would be a challenge LOL.  I have sent them another e mail so I had better prepare for a conversation at break neck speed.................

L'Eclerc home furnishings have some good beds / matresses, as do Conforama, bultex matresses are v good and mites can't live in it, which is pleasing to know. http://www.monsieur-meuble.com/   have a good range of beds too.[|-)]

I was told, some time back, that is you worked for an agency for a minimum of 12 months then you could apply for your own carte professionelle.  Worth asking the Prefecture.

I would assume it is that the gas or oil is delivered, at your request.  Perhaps I am way off track, sure someone will enlighten us............

Not at all, I wouldn't want that to be the assumption either.......... it has taken me three years + to fathom some of the "mysteries" of the CPAM and learning every week. If it wasn't for the Drs here, I would have carried on paying when I was covered on two counts from said list.  The pharmacist tried to explain the category of invalidity I have, I glazed over and even he got confused over the minefield of differing clauses and options and asked if it was easier in the UK with our strong Saxon heritage and courage?  As I understand it, if a medicine is listed as vignette bleue then you pay 35%, all other medicines are free.  This was quite a surprise when I gathered my last precriptions and had no charge at all.    I will be asking my pharmacist for furter details, after the pending fetes.

Of course Will, like most lists, there are always exclusions and additions, naturally, ask your Drs advice. 

This has probably been posted before, if so, apologies in advance, of not, hope it is of some good to the many people who ask what is covered 100% by CPAM. Accident vasculaire cérébral invalidant, Aplasie médullaire, Artériopathie chronique et évolutive (y compris coronarite) avec manifestations cliniques ischémiques, Bilharziose compliquée, Cardiopathie congénitale mal tolérée, insuffisance cardiaque grave et valvulopathie grave, Cirrhose du foie décompensée, Déficit immunitaire primitif grave nécessitant un traitement prolongé et déficit immunitaire grave acquis (syndrome immunodéficitaire acquis), Diabète insulino-dépendant ou non insulino-dépendant ne pouvant pas être équilibré par le seul régime, Forme grave d'une affection neuro-musculaire (dont myopathie), Hémoglobinopathie homozygote, Hémophilie, Hypertension artérielle sévère, Infarctus du myocarde datant de moins de six mois, Insuffisance respiratoire chronique grave, Lèpre, Maladie de Parkinson, Maladie métabolique héréditaire nécessitant un traitement prolongé spécialisé, Mucoviscidose, Néphropathie chronique grave et syndrome néphrotique pur primitif, Paraplégie, Périarthrite noueuse, lupus érythémateux aigu disséminé, sclérodermie généralisée évolutive, Polyarthrite rhumatoïde évolutive grave, Psychose, trouble grave de la personnalité, arriération mentale, Rectocolite hémorragique et maladie de Crohn évolutives, Sclérose en plaque invalidante, Scoliose structurale évolutive (dont l'angle est égal ou supérieur à 25 degrés) jusqu'à maturation rachidienne, Spondylarthrite ankylosante grave, Suite de transplantation d'organe, Tuberculose active, Tumeur maligne, affection maligne du tissu lymphatique ou hématopoïétique.  

Hi John, ask the SAUR to come out again and connect one of their hoses to the main inlet supply to your house, if, like ours, the pressure would impress the Pompiers, you can be sure it is something betwixt and between.  If the heating system is new, could their be some c**p lodged in one of the pipes from fitting / soldering etc?  Just a thought.

tout a fait Val_2 je tiendrai des mains pour 1500 euros [:D] 2 € svp

Since when has a Notaire charged more on a house sale or purchase because they speak more than one language?  Have I missed something?  Better ask the Dr, Dentist, Pharmacist, EDF, Gaz, Impot etc,  if they add on an extra fee when they speak some words of English [*-)]  All further answers to this post should be in French and therefore attract a charge. [;)]

Hi Tony, No probs, hope it all sorts out.  Like you, I have had excellent care too.  As a retired nurse  I am always interested in how a country runs its health care system.

Certainly no insumountable problems or ones that needed a consultancy to sort out, neighbours etc have been more than happy to impart information and assist as required.  A bit of homework and a good read of the countless informative threads on this forum would ease anyones purchase in France.  English speaking Notaries abound.  Buying and selling is stressful anyway, that is to be expected and whenever a glitch occurs it always seems like a mountain at the time.

Hi Tony Usually, the Dr either prints or writes out the prescription, which is set out in two parts, the top part being for medications under affection longue duree, the second part for other medications if required, for which you would normally pay a % towards.  This applies to blood tests, x-rays, etc, linked to your illness, they should all be filled in on the affection longue duree form.   Has your GP filled out the a form for the CPAM, indicating the illness /s you are covered for 100%?  This form lasts for three years before renewal is required.   I find you always get a better response if you can visit the CPAM in person, rather than call the free phone number.  The lady at our local office even said "you didn't try and get information using the platform phone number did you, a waste of time"?   I have always had a good response from asking online, usually a person from the cpam office rings you back within a day or so to answer your questions.  There are different categories for invalidite, but you should have your essential medications and associated tests covered 100%   

We have a similar situation, the pressure coming in from the street side is enough to jet wash a lorry, but in between there and our taps, there is an old stop tap, partley seized and likely caked in calcaire.........Wonder is you have a similar stop tap lurking somewhere.......ours will hopefully be fixed shortly.  The man from the SAUR almost sorted it, but then, having broke the top off the tap,  decided it wasnt really his remit and we needed a plumber......despite my pleadings, he graciously declined.  When it is fixed the whole house will likely leak, with the sudden increase in pressure.[:^)]

Hi Penny Thanks for your reply.  It was the local Mairies secretary that said I should apply for a parking permit, from COTOREP.  She was great, helping with the forms, she even said I should claim for other benefits, but I said  no.  She was dissapointed when they finally said no.  I will just have to park on the flat.  I presume that E121 forms and IB benefits that were issued for life, several years ago, are to be honoured.  I understand that benefit payments are being tightened up in the UK.  I have always found staff at Newcastle to be very good with me and likewise I cannot fault the CPAM service here, save the paperwork being a tad exhaustive at times.  I must ask what invalidity category blue is, as this is a recent addition to my carte vitale, on top of the 100% cover for 2 long term illness's.   

I was advised to apply for a blue parking permit, forms duly completed, weeks went by and they decided not to issue one as they said you have to be 80% incapacitated and I wasn't quite at that level, never mind the fact that I cannot walk up an incline without nearly ending up in a heap.  But, according to my new carte vitale I am invalid category blue.........whatever that is.......??

I went along for such a medical, last year, the Dr was very good, spoke some English, was very polite and took her time with her examination.  Think it is usually every 5 years.....mind, it took them a year to organise the medical, in the end I told Newcastle where to send me, giving them the address and phone number.  They had no idea and wanted me to travel a 200 mile round trip to see a Dr that appeared on their list.  Like no way.  They said there is no CPAM in your town, er, sorry, I drive past the office every week, so I think there might be....  All sorted eventually.  Anyway, it wasn't a problem, just a lot of form filling.  I took along all my letters from Consultants in the UK, which she read through. I would make sure you get to see the nearest CPAM Dr, or they may ask you to travel half way round France as well. Most local hospitals have a CPAM Dr who visits or has a clinic there.  You can claim for travel costs, which I did, still waiting for that!   My GP fills in the usual yearly forms, whilst laughing hysterically at the French translation that runs down the side of each question.  Usually she scribbles most of it out and corrects it.  "who writes this" she asks........."It is completely incomprehensible to a native French person".  Goodness knows what Newcastle think !

Hi Tina Yes, Imigran, or Imigrane en France, is available, it is only available with a Drs prescription, not over the counter.  Covered 65% with carte vitale.  6,86 for one ampoule up to 36,00 for 6 ampoules.  

our two recent bills from artisans have been on the door mat the morning after..........must be because Papa Noel is due next week !! 

Me too now that the fiasco is over,  even though I can't go out of the house again, let alone call in at the bank, ever..............

Oh, the lights are on in the bank, people are gathered around an office table, looks quiet, usually people are queueing to the doors, what a pleasant change.........much pressing of the bell to enter the air lock and in I go.  Odd, to be served by the manager thought I.  The usual polite greeting and then he said we are closed in the afternoons, how can we help you?........He was obviously not socialising round the table, it became apparent that it was some high powered meeting of managers and there's me, bold as brass, wanting to pay a bit of cash in.  He was politeness itself.  The more I apologised in my best  French, the more he chated away in English.  In the end I could hardly speak at all, in any language.  After much hand shaking I shot to the door, in my haste I completely forgot to press the door button, needless to say I  bounced off the glass..............oh please, just let me get out of here..................[:$] 

I had to smile today, after writing to say what a peaceful place we are living in, the Gendarmerie were out in force around town today, armed to the hilt,  shotguns at the ready.......Will have to see what the jungle drums say about such a show of armory.

I would opt for the pompiers for a medical emergency too, if I was unable to get to les urgences,  they are very well trained in medical emergency treatment and transport. 

Not sure if it will work better for you, but with our American import, it was a complete nightmare, cost several thousand euros and in the end the MPV croaked and went to the scrap heap, that was after importing tyres from Belgium, having a new exhaust posted from the US and in the end it was forced to fit as it was the wrong diameter, the engine block froze solid, the AC ceased to work and could not be fixed as the gas was notifiably toxic!!  the distributor went and no one in Europe had one,  the immobiliser refused to unlock until a kindly mechanic cut every wire he could find...............shall I go on.......... I had to have it weighed, twice, expensive letters from Paris, three controle techniques, a special plaque made for the VIN number,  not to mention that the number plates ended in CRS so everyone in the village thought were were the secret police !  I would forget it completely.  We could have bought a brand new French car for less than that waste of space cost us.  At least the country meeces built a home in it until the depannage van took it away.

I always buy the calendars, even the circus ones if they can catch me,  at what seems to be the going rate, despite not being flush with euros.  Some friends, told us of us of a visit, "oh yes, who came"? "The pompiers, don't know why, but they gave us a free calendar and then I shut the door".  BIG OOPS.  We said that things would not be forgotten, so best that they leave the country, (jokingly), 6 months later they did........was it something we said [:P]