NormanH

It's a good idea to keep the house though in case you decide to go back. Very few people last more than 7 years, and those who have to earn a living, much less. We are also beginning to see the sad bewildered halves of  a couple whose French-speaking partner or able-bodied chaffeur has died, and who are now completely disorientated in a place where they don't speak the language, and have no friends. Hope for you it works out as you wish, but as I said, it's sensible to keep the bolt-hole.

[quote user="tegwini"]Declaration Prealable Can anyone give me some advice based on their experience of submitting one of these (not a link to a French Gov'ment site please!) &nyone out there who has managed to get some velux installed/ or coped with these forms? Many thanks tegwini [/quote] I understand that you want first habd experience rather than paperwork, and I  agree with you that this is the best way to go. I have been in France a very long time and am often amused by the sterile debates between who quote from different Internet sources (often English ones that quote old errors without checking) On the other hand it's important to undersand that everything in France has a 'texte' associated, and if you have it to hand to quote you can sometimes win your case in a disagreement. Equally, if you haven't consulted it, you can be hoodwinked. So I, for one,  try to give a link to th appropriate French site In any case it's a good idea to try to master the French terms.. You can do this by comparing the original with a translated version via one of the translation sites such as http://www.reverso.net/text_translation.asp?lang=EN or for web sites http://www.online-translator.com/srvurl.asp?lang=en (be careful to choose the right pair of languges on the pop-down menu) I have fitted velux and other windows, but it was before the mass influx of the English, so in those days it was just a question of having a word with the neighbours!  Now everything has become much tighter.

[quote user="Benjamin"]I just love it when these articles say the State pays for this or the State pays for that. [:P] It's the tax payer who funds the State coffers so that's actually you and me. If the proposal is to move the cost of healthcare from the general tax payer [/quote] In France the cost of health care is more closely earmarked from contributions to Social Security than in the UK, so it's not "the general tax payer" who pays

Wouldn't be a totally bad thing for the environment...[:D]

[quote user="JayJay"]BFB! [blink] Best of both worlds is just perfect, give it time & they'll have video too. Carole did ask about the phones though.[/quote] True[:)]

I certainly never did! You can see average salaries here: http://www.insee.fr/fr/ffc/chifcle_fiche.asp?ref_id=NATSEF04143&tab_id=617

There are loads of French sites with   " immobilier -location".and it helps with te vocabulary you will need  later for example http://www.fnaim.fr/ http://location.binioo.com/ You can also search the small ads all over France (a bit more complicated) on http://www.paruvendu.fr/immobilier/

As I said..Depends what you want to do...[:D]..but I suppose there is no harm in saying it twice  

One reason why I pasted the article, ( removed and replaced with a link by a moderator) by a but I suppose there might by copywright issues with doing that...

but no video..

That site opens fine, but why would anybody want to use a phone with skype? The great advantage is that I can walk around the room hands free and just talk at my microphone (which I use for other things as well) all the dialling etc is done on screen

It was said on the news the the paper versions will be sent out next week

I haven't got a Mac, but SKYPE can be downloaded here http://skype.com/intl/en-gb/download/skype/macosx/ and then you just plug in a cheap micro or camera with micro included, and away you go

Depends what you want to do. The first time I went many years ago I just went to pick up the forms, but usually if you need to do anything more (like asking for help filling in the forms) you could take your Passport Social security no.etc  and something like your electricity bill to prove your address.. I'd also take along bills for Taxe D'habitation and Taxe foncières as they will have your fiscal number on

I wouldn't argue with the total price. The doctor is 22 euros and the lab could be 60+ for a full test. I am not sure how much the nurse costs, but it's not a lot.  1 euro  is not given back for each of the Doctor, Nurse, and Lab You should then get back eventually 65%  of what you paid from the Sécu, and if you have a Mutuelle they should pay you the rest, so in the end you would get back what you paid less 3 euros. If you haven't got a Mutuelle you should still get back 65% minus 3 euros. Sometimes the statements from the Sécu are not easy to follow. For example I might be paid the cost of the presciption but later the 50 centimes per box is taken of a different re-imbursement

Of course none of these places are just tourist towns. It's not like the sea-side out of season[:)] They are active lively places where people live and work all year round. I know all three, and they all have good points, but my favorite, and one of the most sought-after places in France to live is Aix. You can have a wonderful time: the climate can be bright and cold in November, but if you keep out of the wind and in the sun you can easily sit out on a café terrace. I second the fact that Arles is a nice place, and not too big to look around if you are with elderly people.

There isn't a huge difference between "applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK " and " British people settling in France".. Many people on this board say they are permanently settled. Isn't that "indefinite leave" ? Of course with the old system the 'Carte de Séjour'  was for a limited period 5 or 10 years usually, and so there was a clear distinction between staying here for a while , and settling here, but that it now blurred. This is why I think that it would be a good idea for people who intend to settle in France to take these two tests at the French Embassy before coming. It could never be made compulsory, because of the freedom of movement in Europe, but it could avoid the sort of mistakes and unhappiness that sometimes occur when people don't research properly.

There should be something like this, as well as a compulsory language test,  for British people coming to live in France.

There are so many variables! Was it  a GP or a specialist? If a specialist was the patient sent by a GP who has been declared? Is that Doctor "conventionné"? which secteur? Could the Doctor claim 'dépassement d'heures' ? ( a bit like overtime [:)] Was the blood test for one particular thing, or a 'bilan sanguine' that is a complete check? I'm not interrogating, just trying to show how different two people's visit to a Doctor could be.. All that said it doesn't sound like the right proportion of cost/reimbursement

I think this is the article http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=560851&in_page_id=1770&ito=1490

Of course in one sense French GPs don't get 'pay' in the sense of a regular salary. What they earn depends on how many people they see, which is why they always seem so 'caring' and say 'come back if you have the slightest doubt'[:)]

SD "Retired British people in France with an E121 are liable for 30% of their treatment costs like anyone else here.   A UK resident pensioner gets his/her NHS treatment for free." I am not sure that the 30% covers the difference between the systems. Perhaps the UK should offer a scheme whereby elderly Brits can get treated as quickly as they are in France just by paying 30% of the cost? In any case it can be paid by taking a 'Mutuelle' the cost of which is subsidised  for retired Brits by younger healthy French people who are paying into it without taking much out. Retired British people in France with an E121 get 100% for serious diseases which count as "affections longue durée"  and most of these are more common in the Pensioners' age group. On reflection the French who have paid all their lives into building up a superior system are subsidising the Brits who haven't contributed to the development of the service, even if they are now contributing now that they need it

[quote user="cooperlola"] However, French early retired pensioners, if in CMU B, pay 8% - as do other Europeans in that scheme.  [/quote] Why would someone retired from employment be in the CMU? Wouldn't they still be covered by the Régime Génerale ? "Vous dépendez du régime de sécurité sociale dont vous dépendiez avant l'attribution de la retraite ou pension. " http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/.....

There are even Roumanian doctors working in France now. There is a great shortage in some deep country areas, where young French Doctors don't want the extensive travelling that visiting elderly patients involves, nor the very long hours that can come from being the only Doctor with no locum available. Consequently some Maires have recruited Doctors from other countries. There would certainly be difficult tests of professional French to pass. Some Universities offer courses: for example http://medecine.u-clermont1.fr/portail/accueil_etrangers/accueil_etrangers_index.htm and here is an example of someone who has put her CV online looking for a post http://www.medecins.enligne-fr.com/mini_cv.php?code=c1187c23b939ae17

[quote user="Rich1972"]Hi all Can anyone offer a definition of what 'comprehensive health insurance' means? [/quote] Probably something which covers both the part usually paid by the Sécurité Sociale (the amount depends on what is beibng paid for, but can be about 70% of the cost) and the part that needs 'topping up' for which many people have a 'Mutuelle' paid privately.