Magoo

Actually idun, I have had a Mauritian doctor; a German doctor and a Cote D'Ivoire Dentist - all fluent and all happy to secure the best treatment for me even thou I'm so 'demanding' as you so succinctly put it. I deal with specialists who do not speak to me in English which is fine but if I need the finer details gone over again in English my generaliste has helped me. For me it's not just a matter of a headache or ingrowing toenail. Thank you for your input thou - I knew you'd comment although not sure why as you haven't added to the call for help on this thread, as far as I can see, just scared others in need off of asking for advice and help.

I have Minnie but I may have found a doctor even closer to me than Nerac. Thanks for your reply

Looking at the forum baiters I'm expecting to be shot down but I too am looking for an English speaking doctor in the area - Nerac or Condom. My English speaking Doctor (working in a tiny village here) has just retired on ill health and as I have an auto immune condition with lots of complications I prefer to discuss the intricacies of treatment in my mother tongue. For all you doubters, my specialist in Agen is also fluent in English. Please PM me if you can help. Thx

With the Budget for 2009 announced Monday (and the Social deficit) it looks like ALD's and their 100% re-imbursements are up for discussion again!! [:(]

Hi GP The nurse showed me a leaflet briefly but had to take it with her for her other patients.  She said it was a National regulation that is now in place.  A lot was lost in translation which is why I am trying to find out more.  There was a call for a petition in Dept 47 earlier in the year with regards the new regulation that everyone must pay for their treatment in advance - this is due to come into practise Jan 2009.  CPAM are countering this bad news by saying re-imbursements will be made in 5 days...............hmmmmmmmm.  I am wondering whether they are trialing this practise now. Insulin is expensive and to find the money for it in advance will be an extra burden for me, but it pales significantly when one thinks of cancer treatments etc. Regards Magoo

Does anyone have any details of the recent change to the 100% re-imbursement process?  I have just had the nurse in to take bloods for my Diabetic check and had to pay for it.  She said there has been a change and all those with chronic conditions must now pay up front.  She then handed me a dreaded feuille de soins that I thought I'd seen the back of after getting my nice shiny CV................  She said everyone is mystified as to why - patients and health professionals alike are annoyed by the change as it makes for extra work and puts some people under financial strain.  Does anyone know whether I would have to pay for my insulin etc up front? I have tried to find info on the amelie site but can't see any reference to the change. Thanks

This is an extract from the government guidelines regarding debt collection and section 5 of the Limitation Act: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued debt collection guidance which looks at whether a debt is being collected fairly. They say: it is unfair to pursue the debt if you have heard nothing from the creditor for six years; the OFT thinks it is fair to keep trying to recover the debt if the creditor has been in regular contact with you during this time; it is unfair to mislead you by saying the debt is still legally recoverable when it isn't; it is unfair to keep pressing for payment after you have told them you won't be paying the debt because it is statute barred. If this is happening then you can complain to your local trading standards department in the council. They can take up your case for you. You can also complain to the OFT. Their address is at the end of the fact sheet. The OFT does not usually take up individual cases but their debt collection licensing enforcement team collects information that can be used to take action against problem creditors, who can even lose their consumer credit licence. The OFT Debt Collection Guidance states further that "continuing to press for payment after a debtor has stated that they will not be paying a debt because it is statute barred could amount to harassment contrary to section 40 (1) of the Administration of Justice Act 1970".

A colleague of mine had a similar question a couple of years ago re unsecured debt and was advised to ring the UK National Debtline who's advice was if you are leaving the country the chance is you will not be pursued.  I was shocked by this and rang myself with a bogus enquiry along the same line (unsecured debt of around £10,000 moving to mainland Europe, blah blah blah) and to my amazement received the same advice!!  With an extra snippet of information saying if in a few years (I think it was 5 or 6) you have not had contact with the collectors and they have not issued a court judgement in your absence you can claim your creditors are out of time ................ However, I must add that I am lucky not to have ever been in this position but realise that some people are faced with horrific debts through no fault of their own and no situation is black and white.  Here is the link to the organisation mentioned: http://www.nationaldebtline.co.uk

Hi Joshua No, it wasn't your post that made me mad it was on another forum that have some members who seem to enjoy 'forum baiting' and which can get very personal and if you are trying to find info or ask for advice quite frustrating. I hope you find a way to stay - it must be a very upsetting time for you and yours.  I feel helpless which is a feeling fairly alien to me as I have tried to make my 'condition' work around my life rather than living my life around my condition.  Reading various documents, the belief of 'healthcare for all' that some charities believe is a basic human right makes our situation surreal when people like us are excluded from both the state and the private healthcare system.  I remember when I fell between the gap of my E106 and my CV proper (about 2 months) I had to go to my CPAM office to ask them to okay blood tests and insulin prescription.  They umm'd and arhh'd so I said if I don't inject I die and if they weren't going to sort it out now can they give me a letter for my next of kin explaining why they refused me treatment.  They ran the pharmacy and laboratory while I waited.[6]

Thanks for the info and advice guys - will await developments. Just had another knock back from an American insurance company who will cover my condition if I don't have any treatment for it for the initial 2 years qualifying period......a cunning plan aye??  Kill off your customers before they have a chance to claim [:D]

Thanks Lebois - I emailed Mary Honeyball last month but will try a couple of others. I was upset by some comments on various forums a while back that basically say people with chronic conditions should have known better than to burn their bridges and leave the NHS but before I 'burnt bridges' I was informed by the British Embassy in Paris, DWP and the French Embassy in London of the French healthcare rules that stated I had to join the system and my diabetes would be covered 100%.  You say you are covered by insurance now - are you able to tell me by which company? Regards M

Hi I've tried to keep up to date with decisions regarding those of us that are due to be expelled next April but because of chronic conditions (I have type I diabetes) cannot obtain private health insurance - does anyone know the latest? Also, has anyone found any health insurance companies that are inclusive of conditions such as mine? I have contacted 6 or 7 without success - they are happy to help out with anything but the one thing I have wrong with me!!! So, I am looking at becoming 'stateless' with regards healthcare and as we are talking about on average €800 a month for medication and screening, unable to fund my treatment which will put my health in serious danger................sorry that sounds a tad dramatic, but sadly it's true. Lastly, does anyone know whether being registered as actively seeking work changes my inactive status? Cheers

Well, I've trawled through the forum looking for answers and still the question what if you have a chronic condition that cannot be covered by private health care?? I am a type I diabetic that injects 4/5 times a day, needs constant blood tests, eye screens, kidney function tests etc etc and will not be able to obtain private health care cover. I have no problem having insurance that covers me for anything else but in the 3 years I have been here I have only needed treatment for the diabetes. I am unable to go back to the UK for treatment and trying to find a job in the rural area I live in is impossible for a lot of the locals let alone a non-fluent speaker of the Francais!! I have a small pension alimentaire that I declare on my tax returns so am not a 'drain' on the state. economically inactive people with sufficient resources to support themselves and insured against sickness; - impossible for some I think I know that there have been discussions on here that basically say you should have been aware of this before coming to France but the law at the time was E106 for 2 years then onto French Health system and my diabetes, after a medical board judgement, would be awarded 100% rights (the same as the UK). Surely this transends EU legislation and moves into the realms of human rights . . . whereby the rule to obtain private health care is unobtainable by many who have ALD's or chronic conditions thus preventing them from receiving adequate healthcare. Sorry to bleat on - worrying about this has played havoc with my blood control and I may not be able to afford to get ill!!!

Hi Helen As a Type I too I would be interested - make that desperately interested - in any news/findings re the changes and it's effects on people like us!!  I have a Carte Vitale as my 106 ran out and am affiliated with CMU with 100% rights regarding my Diabetes.  All this worry does not help with my blood control!!!!

Hi , thanks for your reply. We signed a 'letter of engagement' (which does not contain a clause stating fees if the works are not carried out) but there was no prices on it just a list of what they were going to do (plans, tenders,planning applications, final designs, works etc) and a paragraph stating their fees of 14% with a request of 2,000 euros deposit - we paid another 2,000 euros a year later for work carried out so far (existing conditions and sketch design). Obviously we terminated our working relationship at the sketch design and outline costing stage, we didn't get to planning application stage so as we were billed for the work to date we were surprised to receive said bill.  The architect who actually did the sketches put in a bill to the original contact for 4,500 euros for his services - the guy who didn't do the work and who we met just the once in 2003 has added 6,000 euros to the bill (he obviously doesn't know we contacted the local guy to question the latest bill) - this is the part we are disputing......also I misread the hours charged - 152 @ 60 euros.

Any advice welcome................apologises for the length of the post. We instructed an architect late 2003 to demolish a new extension attached to our old house that had been left open to the elements for 12 years - he sub-contracted a local guy to do the drawing and measuring up with the arrangement that all monies to be paid to the first contact. The service was abysmal and we were continually chasing them. They changed our original instructions and came up with a swish new idea that, although sounded great, started to ring alarm bells with regard budget. This 'talking' stage took about a year!! We finally got a draft sketch early in 2005 and we had to pester them regularly for an outline quote - we finally got fed up and told them to go back to our original plan of demolition only - the main guy rang to try to persuade us otherwise saying the quotes are nearly ready blah blah - they came in at 600,000 euros................well we picked ourselves off the floor and wrote to them to tell them what we thought of their service and that we wished to terminate our business relationship, this was in Nov 2005. We had paid them 4,000 Euros up until then and considered the matter closed. We received this week a bill from them totalling over 10,000 Euros - it turns out the guy that was actually doing the work has not been paid and has recently put in a bill for 4,500 Euros to the original contact. Where do we stand in this matter - obviously, he is totally trying it on. When we had his original proposal his fees were 14% of the total works - he is now trying to charge us for 80 hours at a rate of 60 Euros an hour. Regards Mag