Having just sorted out the same situation I was very pleasantly surprised. Basically there is a threshold of income of just over 800 per couple per month. Presumably one pays 8% on everything above this. Despite all the horror stories that keep cropping up they do NOT take into account any capital when assesing this level. When I told them that we had some investments but had actually lost capital, they did not even ask me to produce evidence of it. Your position in 2003 is assesed on your income in 2002 and as in that year we had been refurbishing gits, our sole income depended on 2 small occupational pensions and a small rent from a long term lease plus some interest from a deposit account it came to just below the threshold. As we were leaving I am sure the lady in the office said that for the following year any income from the gits would not need to be included, but perhaps someone else could confirm or deny this. We had already paid 900 for the complimentary, top up insurance and my cup runeth over when she said that not only would I have to pay nothing in 2003 but that they would also refund the 900. One final point is that I had worked for 59hrs. in agriculture, in a neighbours vineyard. Had I worked for 60hrs. I would have received a carte as of right. They did take my old carte off me and asked me to take any docuementation down to the office. I must admit I forgot to ask whether the carte would be replaced or whether I would have to continue to claim the ependiture back afterwards. Well, that about it. Sorry it went on so long but I have read so much nonsense about health care in France that I thought it important and perhaps helpfull to relate an actual experience. And by the way, the two ladies in the office were so helpfull that we gave them a box of chocs. when we took the photostats down.
