Maricopa

Tigerfeet, as you say, the authorities would seem to be leaving it late to actually tell people officially what is going on.  I think one of the reasons that they haven't so far (apart from a handful of very quick of the mark departements), is because official instructions haven't yet been issued to the CPAM's, until they are, the CPAM's won't do anything.  I too am one of those affected by this change, and my E106 expires in Jan 08 as well.  I am fortunate in that I am healthy, and always intended to start a business, I am just starting it a year earlier than intended.[Www]

 Unfortunately tigerfeet, that only applies to those already covered by CMU  "Inactive people already benefiting from the CMU under the previous rules are being given 6 months to take out private insurance. During this period they will continue to be covered by the CMU." You are covered by item 2 "There are no changes for people who can produce evidence (E 106 or E 121) of their right to sickness benefits under the NHS. They can continue to register with the CPAM [French sickness insurance office] of their place of residence in order to be eligible for French benefits provided on behalf of the British NHS, so long as their documents remain valid."  (my bold highlighting) As soon as your documents become invalid (ie when your E106 expires in January 2008), you will then (currently) have to have alternative arrangements in place[:@]. Apologies if this adds to your woes[:(].

I'm curious spg, how long did your E106s run for, and when did they expire?  My understanding would be that prior to the begining of september (when the new rules started to be aired), on presentation of your E106, as long as all your other paperwork was in order, that you would be absolutely entitled to a Carte Vitale.  We took all our paperwork to the CPAM in july last year, and (bar the problem over the short birth certifcate), were immediately (or as immediately as it gets en francais) issued with our Cartes Vitale. But as with everything in France, the rules are always open to local interpretation[:@]

[quote user="tigerfeet"]I joined the french health system with my e106 which runs out in jan 2008. the french government have announced british citizens can no longer stay in their health system and have allowed 6 months from 1st oct which will give us cover untill the end of march 2008 [/quote] Just to clarify this tigerfeet, as you are currently on an E106, when that expires, your cover ends then.  Only those currently on CMU have cover until the end of march[:(]

[quote user="ESB"] CPAM will not give me a proper Carte Vitale only an Attestaion de Droits which is a royal PIA [/quote] ESB (by the way, used to be the name of a great beer in Hampshire!) Did you provide a full birth certificate, as opposed to the short one?  I only got the Attestation de Droit, until I provided a full birth certificate, and was then immediately sent my Carte Vitale.

Whilst slightly off topic, I thought I would relate my experiences of importing a foreign registered car into France and registering it.  We decided before we moved out that we didn't want the hastle of trying to register a RHD car (changing headlights etc).  To cut a long (though quite amusing) story short, we ended up buying a LHD belgian registered car.  The guy who we bought it from specialises in importing and exporting LHD cars for people like me.  Belgium authorities issue export plates to cars to be exported.  These come with a minimum level of insurance, valid to the date of expiry (normally the end of the next month after the export date, I think).  Therefore this car was (very) temporarily imported into England (thursday to monday), and then imported into France.  When the car was sold on to me, I got a receipt from the seller and all the other documents, including the coveted Certificate of Conformity (CoC). First step once in France was to visit the Hotel des Impots to get a Certificate of Import.  Once I showed my receipt for the vehicle and confirmed the age/ mileage, this was issued no further questions asked, and gratuit[:D]. Then, I had to book my car into our local garage for the controle technique, and 45 minutes later had another important piece of paper[:D]. So, armed with all the other relevant papers and photocopies, it was off to the prefecture, having checked the opening times on line for the Carte Grise office.  Unfortunately, this information was way out of date and the office was shut, so I resolved to come back early the next day (it was only open from 0830 to 1130!).  As we live 45 minutes away, this meant leaving at 0740ish.  So this time, having hoping I got the young girl at the counter, but ending up with the battleaxe, I presented my dossier, and all was fine until Madame entered one number from the CoC, and the computer said non.  No amount of pleading could convince her that the error was possibly hers or to tell me what precisely the computer disagreed with, so there was no choice but to retreat with my tail between my legs.  Once I got home again, I was able to deduce that she had probably entered an O, not a 0[:(][:(]. So following day, off again.  This time got the nice homme at the other end of the counter, and after having explained what I thought was the problem, he confirmed that the number was good for my car, and 10 minutes later I had my Carte Grise[:D][:D][:D]. The point of all this, is that perhaps the UK authorities could have a similar system, and that may go some way to reducing the problem of illegal UK cars in France.  As someone else said, only once someone is heavily dealt with by the law then maybe the situation will start to change[Www].

[quote user="Nick Trollope"] Has anyone any idea of how to actually book these £5 flights (still advertised on the RA site) - after 10 mins of trying random dates (always for 1p + £45 charges) I give up...[/quote]   Unfortunately for you Nick, the offer finished at midnight last night[:(]

I signed this petition the other night choosing the expat option and got my e-mail within minutes[:D]

[quote user="Patmobile"] [quote user="powerdesal"]What an absolute waste of time, effort and money. "Green" confidence tricks rule OK. [/quote] I've sailed more than 25,000 nautical miles without any other power but the wind.  To do the same, at the same average speed, in an economcal diesel engine powered boat of similar size, would have meant burning a minimum of 2500 gallons of fuel. Before the industrial revolution there were thousands of wind powered mills all over Europe.  Nobody complained they were ugly, killed lots of birds (!), altered the route of the jetstream (!!) - I've actually heard all these ludicrous claims - or criticised them on the grounds that the claims made for their efficiency were greatly exaggerated. I don't believe that mankind's activities have ever caused any change in the Earth's climate, and I believe they probably never will.  To think otherwise is greatly to overestimate the importance of  we puny creatures and hugely underestimate the power of the natural forces to which we are all subject.  But, there's no question that burning fossil fuel is polluting our environment, and that we can't go on doing it forever, so why not use wind power when and where it is possible to do so? . Patrick     [/quote]   Hear, hear.  Personally I find there is something quite beautiful about watching the blades spin, indicating that a natural element is providing somebody somewhere with energy from an entirely renewable source. 

I use Orange.  I top up with a 25 euros card every two months.  As long as you top up before it expires (you get a weeks followed by a days warning text) whatever credit you have left on your phone carries over, so you never loose it.  Incidentally the 25 euro card gives you 30 euros credit.  Building up credit is handy if you make occasional trips to the Uk, as it can be quickly used up when your there!  Another plus about using Orange is that it has very good coverage both in France and ailleurs.

[quote user="woody2122"]Does anyone know with   ca-cmds.fr   online  do you pay  1,50 euro  each time you log on or is it per week or month[/quote] Whilst I cannot comment on ca-cmds.fr, as far as I am aware after being with CA in the Midi, now CA Languedoc for over 18 months, I have never paid a sou to access my account on line.

[quote user="woolybanana"]  What else would you suggest? [/quote] Xenophobia[Www]

[quote user="Ron Avery"] although some by a quirk have got 2 .5 years.  [/quote] Ron, I don't think it is a quirk, but as described in my answer, my understanding is you can get the next two Calendar years after the year in which it is issued, plus the bit of the Calendar year it is issued PROVIDED you have paid enough tax in the Tax year it is issued.  I base this information on what I was told by the person in Newcastle.  Our E106's ran from June 2006 to Jan 2008.  I enquired why they didn't run until Jan 2009, and she asked me if I had paid x amount of tax in the 2006/2007 tax year and when I said no, she said that it why. I have looked at the link provided, and can only assume, it also depends on which operator you get![:D]  It may well be that for the OP an E106 issued in september of year one would cover until the end of year 3, i.e. 2 and a bit years.  

Hi Albert the Info Gipsy? How long an E106 covers you for is a function of whether you are employed or self employed, and when you want your E106 to run from, in relation to the Tax year you are in.  I can only comment on my own experience as an (ex)employed person. If you are employed, and you wanted your E106 to run from say the end of April, then it would only be valid until the January of the year after next IE E106 30 April 2008, valid until Jan 2010, because in the 2008/2009 tax year you have paid insufficient tax to qualify for another year.  I can't give you an exact figure for the amount of tax you have to have paid, but there would come a point sometime in 2008 when you would have paid sufficient tax, and then you would be able to get an E106 to cover you until Jan 2011.  So you can see you can get an E106 to be valid for approx. 2.5 years, but it is a delicate balancing act. I do know the rules are different for a self-employed person, but I don't know what they are. Hope this helps.

[quote user="Bob T"]The EHIC is of no use to you if you have an E106. The EHIC is for visitors and the E106 is for residents, you can't be both. [/quote] Not quite true.  As a resident of France with a valid E106, the UK should issue you an EHIC to cover your travel outside France, valid for the same period as the E106.  Once you join (SIC) the system after the E106 expires, then the CPAM should issue you an EHIC(edit:French equivalent CEAM, couldn't remember the French abbreviation, ta Will!)for travel outside France.

[quote user="Maricopa"]I know how to "quote" one poster, but I often see "quotes" in threads from more than one poster in one reply.  How do you do this?  Not life or death but there have been a couple of occasions when I would liked to have done this.[/quote] [quote user="Clair"]I use the HTML codes {quote}....{/quote}, replacing the {} with [] [/quote] Like this? Thanks very much, easy if I had thought long enough about it![Www]

I know how to "quote" one poster, but I often see "quotes" in threads from more than one poster in one reply.  How do you do this?  Not life or death but there have been a couple of occasions when I would liked to have done this. Many thanks 

[quote user="Will"]I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Isle of Wight. Lots in common with France: quiet, old-fashioned, comparatively cheap housing, expensive ferry fares...[/quote] As someone who used to live in Portsmouth, and spent many happy times staying in the IOW, I for one IF I had to return to the UK, would be straight across there.  I just could not go back to living in Portsmouth, too much noise, pollution, people, traffic, drugs, yobs etc, etc, etc.  I am quite pleased that most people on this forum wouldn't consider going there, as if we did all have to go back, it could get quite crowded![:D]  HOWEVER, wild horses couldn't drag me from France back to the UK.

Only if you could convince them that it wasn't pre-existing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![:D]

No probs cooperlola, I guess all our thoughts are getting as addled as your spelling of my handle![Www]

[quote user="cooperlola"] All E106's last for 2 years + an odd few months depending on when they started.  [/quote] As a new member on this forum, I  don't like to disagree with a longstanding member quite so soon, but in this instance I feel I must! Not all E106's last for 2 years+.  It all depends on when the E106 runs from and how much NI has been paid in the TAX year of issue. For example, our own E106's were issuen in June2006 and are valid until 8th Jan 2008, because we hadn't paid enough tax in the 2006/2007 tax year (about£4,500) for vailidity until Jan 2009.  I have no idea why it is the 8th of Jan, but that is what it is? To get New Year out of the way perhaps!!!!!![:D]

Cat, I think you are spot on.  Whilst almost without exception, every French person I have met has been nothing but absolutely welcoming, the fact that we are now experiencing "difficulties" with the new administration would be of little more than passing interest.  Indeed a shrug and "c'est normal" would sum up the situation for many at the very least, though I think the extreme views expressed on some French web forums are thankfully not the norm. This is definitely a battle to be fought at UK government and European parliament level.  And yes, my wife and are holders of E106s that expire in January, though we are (hopefully) fortunate enough to be in the postion of starting up a business in January, albeit a year earlier than intended. Bon courage......

[quote user="Maricopa"][quote user="Sunday Driver"] I understand that tonight's 'Mots Croisés' programme will feature a political discussion about the new healthcare rules. France 2 at 23.10 tonight.   [/quote] I watched the first half of this programme, but it was mainly about the changes to the 35  hour week.  Indeed, the government minister was the Minister for Travail.  I did however tape it and will rewatch it to see if anything was mentioned about our concerns, but I wouldn't hold out much hope! [/quote] Further to my earlier post, I can now confirm that there was no discussion of the imminent removal of thousands of Brits from the French health system.  It was all about the huge public deficit ( [:D]so related IMHO!), heures supplementaire, reduction on the number of fonctionnaires, availability of housing for those on low incomes etc but nothing about health per se. Once more unto the breach...........

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] I understand that tonight's 'Mots Croisés' programme will feature a political discussion about the new healthcare rules. France 2 at 23.10 tonight.   [/quote] I watched the first half of this programme, but it was mainly about the changes to the 35  hour week.  Indeed, the government minister was the Minister for Travail.  I did however tape it and will rewatch it to see if anything was mentioned about our concerns, but I wouldn't hold out much hope!