babcock

The government keep €1 as a "forfait" which you never get back. The reimbourse 70% of the cost. Your mutuelle will reimbourse the rest or the agreed amount after taking another "forfait. Those figures are for a simple visit to the doctor. Check out www.ameli.fr where you can check the amounts reimboursable etc. I thought hat a mamograph was free. I don't remember paying. Likewise smear tests and checks for bowel cancer.

In England traditionaly you couldn't buy fresh fish on a Monday as the fishermen didn't go to sea on a Sunday. I don't know when this faded out. It seems that is still current in parts of France.

[quote user="NormanH"]It was a hugely courageous measure which acts as a model. [/quote] So if I am paid basic wage €8.82 per hour I am only ALLOWED to earn €308.70 per week. If my child needs new shoes I can't put in a few extra hours to pay for them and Christmas treats - forget it. This idea is only welcomed by salaried people. As for a courageous measure it was in fact another badly thought through French idea.  Another thing I have been told (and I am sure that someone will correct me if wrong) is that those, like hospital doctors, who have to work longer at times cannot be paid but must build up holiday credit. So at some time all the doctors will be on holiday. I am also told by a friend trying to build up a restaurant business that serving staff must be employed for a minimum of 24 hours a week. This means that an embryonic resto has very, very little chance of success.    

While watching Midsummer this afternoon on ITV1 103 we received the message you will soon lose this channel. We have only ever had freesat with a card to get channel 4 and 5. What is going on?

[quote user="Sunday Driver"] Your husband's ALD entitles him to 100% reimbursement of his treatment costs for that specific condition.  That gives him the benefit of not having to meet the normal 30% shortfall either from his own pocket or by paying for a mutuelle.  However, in practice, most people who suffer from a medical condition which qualifies as an ALD also tend to have other conditions and therefore have mutuelle cover for those. So in real terms, it's the mutuelles who actually benefit from him having an ALD as they don't have to pay out the 30%, so it's worth asking them for a discount on his premium.  I did and they knocked 15% off.....[;-)]   [/quote] I'm glad it's not my misunderstanding . One thing he had recently was a cardio. It was reemboursed at 100% so no charge to the mutuelle but because it was over 91€ there was a forfait of 18€ to pay! It all seems a bit pointless

MOH has just received info that he has been accepted (if that's the correct expression) for care under an ALD. I have read through the booklet and cannot understand how this benefits him. We are pensionners and our healthcare in under the E121 and we have a mutuelle. Certain things like non conventionee costs, transports sanitaires are not covered and will be covered by the mutuelle. Am I missing something? (very possible)

[quote user="Framboise"]Heres one that my grandmother wrote in a notebook about 75 years ago, hence why the language is a bit outdated.   I have not tried it personally but perhaps worth a try? 1.   Blanch 1lb almonds and cut them lenghtwise into thin strips.  Lay them on a dish in front of the fire or in a low oven with door open to get them to dry thoroughly. 2.   Melt in a sugar boiler 1/2lb loaf sugar.  When sugar is a rich brown put in the almonds - mix them well.  Cut carefully and you will have a soft paste which will harden when cold. 3  . Make some small moulds very hot - slightly but thoroughly oil them with a little sweet almond oil.  Put some of the mixture in one of them and with the handle of a teaspoon (previously oiled), spreasd it out to completely line the mould. 4.  Trim the edges when cold then turn-out the nougat. Any large or small mould may be used and many fanciful devices may be worked with this composition.   The almonds must be cut small for intricate designs and in all cases the work must be done quickly for the sugar soon becomes too stiff to be spread into position.  Good luck!! [/quote] Good luck but have you considered the cost of almond oil? In small quantities it may make the home production of nougat impractical

Furthermore I expect you will have to look up deign.

Norman My husband actually speaks pretty good french  but that supposes that any of the medical staff will deign to speak to him. I have raised the question of the French specialists attitude to their patients on another forum. Thier response and that of a French friend is that you are merely a patient and they are somewhat "godlike". This is what is the cause of the frustration and your response is at best unhelpful and otherwise bl00dy insulting. Post edited by the moderators as per the forum Code of Conduct. Please do not post comments which are abusive, racist, sexist, or derogatory in any way to others.

[quote user="NormanH"]I would recommend anyone who is not fluent in French to return to a country where they can find not only the medical team but also all the after care in the language they feel comfortable speaking. [/quote] Can this actually be done? My husband has not yet been diagnosed but is very frustrated with the French lack of info and general handling of his problem and is threating to go back to the UK if the prognosis is poor

The French company Danone market cottage cheese BUT few places stock it. Summer 2008 it was available in our local Carrefour but not this summer!

A company I may buy some clothes from states regarding returns that it accepts their returned goods slip stamped by the post office as proof of posting. Anyone care to try this at La Poste? I can't think of any reason, except the stroppiness of la Poste why this should be a problem.

White  sprouting brocolli is unusual in France. It is one of my favorite veg but it does take a long time in the ground. Sugar snap peas are also little known over here. The mange tout are skinnier and not as tasty in my opinion.

The two things I really miss are libraries and long summer days, light at 4 am and not dark until nearly 11 pm. ( in the north west that is) I am not ready to back yet but sometimes it pulls. Do keep posting.

A certain well known DIY store in Ruffec (when we lived there) made disparaging remarkes about the british when they thought that said brits could not speak French. They forgot that their, considerable, expansion was due to the large number of brits renovating etc. I suspect that the downturn will also be blamed on the brits.